Striped Cat
by Purple Pirate Lex
Summary: The sting of Spike's departure is still fresh in the minds of the Bebop crew. What immediately follows the tragic, so called end of the Real Folk Blues? Lives are dispersed, but do they stay that way? It's all up in the air from here. ::Post tRFB::
1. Wake of the Storm

_**Hello again! Purple Pirate Lex here, back with a vengeance! My third Bebop fanfiction is now underway! I want to thank everyone for your appreciation of my stories and attention span to get through them! The reviews I've been getting are awesome! Thank you all so very much for your support!**_

_**By the way, I realize that throughout the last two stories I've been misspelling "Woolong." It is indeed spelled with two O's and not a U. How come no one pointed that out to me? Oh well. Consider it officially corrected! I hope you enjoy my latest rendition of Shinichiro Watanabe's amazing and inspiring creation. (Didja catch that? It was my little disclaimer! Cowboy Bebop is his, not mine.) Have a ball!**_

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**Striped Cat**

Faye Valentine sat idly on the cold metal floor of the Bebop, staring at the ceiling. She counted and stared at the dings and dents and scars left from the flying bullets of her Glock not long ago. Tears had subsided and numbness engulfed her small frame. She sat in the hallway, the cold corridor where she had last seen him.

As she pulled her knees up to her chest, hugging them in place, Faye's mind began to wander. She had almost forgotten why she'd been sitting there for so long. All at once, the sound of uneven footsteps jarred her back to life, sending her heart leaping into her throat. Faye's head swirled on its pivot with hope and excitement. To her dismay, the sounds were from the thick boots and a crutch of a man with a large, muscular build and one cybernetic arm. Now she remembered.

"Faye," came Jet Black's raspy voice from above. It was calm and more soothing than she'd ever heard it. "You've been sitting here for quite some time," he spoke. Faye shifted her glance to spot him as he stood over her, his grey eyes filled with concern.

"Mm?" she mumbled her reply. She hadn't been listening to him.

"Almost four hours," the man continued. "Come on, I'll make you a bite to eat." Jet turned to leave, leaning heavily on his crutch, but stopped when he realized that Faye had not moved. He looked at her, resting his free hand on his hip.

"Has it really only been four hours, Jet?" she sadly asked, her voice just above a whisper. Jet nodded his answer, but she had buried her face in her folded arms before she could see him. "It just doesn't seem possible," she continued, speaking more to herself than to Jet. The bald man strained to hear her muffled voice. "You can't miss someone so much in just four hours." As her sentence came to a close, she felt her emerald eyes prickling, her throat painfully throbbing as a hard sob threatened to spring forth.

Jet raised his cybernetic arm to rub his bare head. His face displayed a look of anguish and confusion. He looked down at the woman again, cautiously hobbling toward her once more. He wanted to comfort her, but he wasn't exactly sure how. He knew that he could definitely say something that he wasn't quite sure might trigger more pain.

Faye lifted her head, revealing her shiny green eyes, their glittering emphasized by pools of teardrops that reflected what little light there was. "Just when I was starting to get used to all this," she sniffled, her voice warbling. "To accept this as my only place to call… a home," she hesitated, her green orbs scanning the Bebop around her. Jet listened, taken aback by her magnificent eyes. "He just had to leave," she finally finished, the puddles in her eyes overflowing, leaving salty droplets on her cheeks and forearms. Her body trembled with a sob.

Jet carefully descended next to the weeping woman, placing a warm hand on her shoulder. He felt her body shudder as he touched her. After a long pause, he spoke. "It was something that had to be done," he said quietly. "You might not understand it… hell, I don't understand it." He stared straight ahead, absentmindedly stroking her smooth skin with the length of his thumb. "That guy was always as cryptic as a hieroglyph," he sighed. Both of them flinched at his words. Past tense. It seemed to be a confirmation of death.

"It's so empty," Faye's voice cooed sorrowfully. She buried her face again, fighting against more tears. Jet breathed a deep sigh, supplying his own interpretation as to exactly what she meant. He gave Faye's shoulder one last rub before reaching for the crutch lying beside him. Steadying the contraption, he heaved himself up again, grimacing from the pain that shot through his left thigh. Steadying himself against the wall, he looked down at Faye again. He was somewhat relieved that he couldn't see her eyes anymore. He had never seen her cry before that day and frankly, he didn't like it one bit. He reached down, hesitantly stroking her violet hair before leaving her in peace.

"You know where to find me," he said slowly. He leaned heavily on his crutch as he turned to hobble away.

Sitting on the old yellow couch, Jet relaxed into the cushions, elevating his injured leg on the coffee table. He grunted as he leaned forward to reach the remote for the vid screen. He looked at the screen, examining it for a few seconds. He noticed the large dent in the frame, rubbing his head as he remembered where it had come from. A reluctant chuckle ground itself from his throat. _Brute force really doesn't solve everything,_ he thought nostalgically. He found himself wishing harder and harder that he hadn't had to give such advice.

Jet rested his head on the back of the sofa with a heavy sigh. He would never admit it, but he needed comforting now as much as Faye did. He began to wonder where Edward had run off to. She was the only one on the ship who could always make him smile. At least inwardly. He even missed the cold, wet sensation of Ein's shiny black nose nuzzling his right arm. The dog knew when he was needed.

But most of all, he was already beginning to miss Spike. It had been nearly four hours since he and Faye had last seen him. He wondered: how could the Bebop lose three of its crewmembers all at once? It just didn't seem right. It didn't seem fair. Even before Ein and Faye and Edward became additions to the ship, he and Spike had been comrades for three years. And now he found himself with an even deeper void than there would have been otherwise. Jet clicked on the television and rubbed his bare head, as if trying to clear unwanted thoughts. _I wonder what's on,_ he thought.

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_**Whad'ja**_ **_think? There's lots more to come, so stick around! _**


	2. A Break

_**It's chapter two! It gets better. Enjoy!**_

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Loud, roaring engines revved up with power, jarring the snoozing Jet to life. Standing, he grabbed his crutch and hobbled out to the dock. "Faye! I told you your ship was gonna be out of commission for at least a few days! Can't you--" He stopped when he saw a different ship with lights lit and thrusters roaring.

"That's why I'm not taking my ship!" Faye shouted from the cockpit of the Hammerhead. Jet's jaw dropped.

"Faye! Where the hell do you think you're going in my ship?!" the man bellowed angrily. Faye turned to look at him briefly, her green eyes full of pain. She swiftly turned her attention to the control panel, examining its configuration.

"I need fresh air. I'll be back," she said, a twinge of sadness and anger in her voice.

Jet bristled. "Alright, fine!" he roared. "Just don't get yourself into any trouble because unlike Spike, I have no incentive whatsoever to come to your rescue!" He balled a metal fist around his crutch. "And don't even think of gambling all your money away and come running back to me for more! I won't stand for it!" He turned on his good heel, folding muscular arms across his broad chest. "You're always stealing money from my safe like a little thief!" Just as he was about to hobble away and back to the living area, he thought he heard a small sniffle through the Hammerhead's communication speaker. As he turned again, his ship was already lifting off the hangar floor, and all that could be heard was engine power. Jet watched it zoom toward the exit, blowing debris and wind in his direction. He gave a sigh, rubbing his scalp sadly.

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Faye clumsily landed the massive Hammerhead on a lit-up, bustling street. The night air attacked her warm skin hungrily as she opened the hatch to hop out. Before leaving the Bebop, she had had a wardrobe change. As she stepped out onto the Martian asphalt, she straightened out her slinky evening dress; a deep burgundy shade of fabric hugged her figure and hung down to below the knee. A slit on the right side crept up to the top of her thigh revealing her slender leg with every step she took. A deep V neckline trailing from thin straps exposed almost too much cleavage. A short necklace, strung with pastel green pearls and stones, glimmered at her neck, attracting the eye. Matching earrings framed her heart-shaped face as wisps of violet hair dangled to her chin. Kept warm by only a black shawl, Faye strode up to the doors of her favorite place, a casino.

As she passed through the electronic doors, her sadness almost melted away. The engaging sights and sounds of slot machines and roulette tables seemed to awaken her senses. People were all about, filling the large, dimly lit room. The dull roar of their conversation was music to Faye's ears. She watched as young men in tails, bowties and white gloves carried trays of champagne and hours' devours. The jangle of coins tumbling out of slot machines excited her. A slinky smile crept across her face, tugging at her rouged lips. It was working already.

Faye found her way to the bar and perched on a high stool. The bartender approached her eagerly. "What can I get ya, miss?" he smiled charmingly, wiping his hands on a white rag.

"Vodka tonic with lime," she casually ordered with a soft smirk, enjoying the feeling of his roving eyes.

"Comin' right up," the bartender grinned, turning to grab a tumbler. Faye's emerald eyes gazed around the room, looking at all the people that occupied the casino that night. The neon lights that crowned machine after tempting machine hypnotized her into a state of relaxation. With a sigh, she looked down at her hands, her slender fingers cradling a black clutch purse on the bar top.

The gentle tap of a full tumbler caught her attention as the bartender looked upon her with a smile. "Thanks," she said lazily.

"My pleasure," he replied. "So, what are you doing out on the town all by yourself?" he asked curiously. Faye looked up at him, noticing his appearance for the first time. Short, brown hair sat atop his head, growing thinner near the center. He seemed to be in his late thirties, but was still fairly attractive. His white dress shirt stood out underneath the black tuxedo vest he wore, but took on an amber glow in the dim lighting. It was too dark to see the color of his eyes.

"Can't a girl have a little fun on her own once in a while?" she asked with a smile, toying with the red plastic sword that skewered her lime wedge. She picked up the glass and took a sip, exhaling deeply after the bitter swallow. "I just needed to break free of the suffocating jar, despite the air holes." Her voice lilted light-heartedly as she spoke. Her eyes twinkled, even in the low lighting.

"Husband givin' you guff?" the bartender asked.

"Humph! What husband?" the woman laughed. The man behind the bar smiled. Her laugh was pleasant to his ears.

"Well, I won't pry too much," he said. "Although an intriguing woman like you does leave me curious."

"Don't you know curiosity killed the cat?" Faye smiled seductively from behind her glass.

"It's all good up until the ninth time," the man replied coyly. Faye grinned at his response. "Name's Brandon," he said, returning the conversation to casual introductory. Faye gave a small smile.

"Faye," she replied, placing her half-empty glass on the bar.

"Faye," Brandon repeated. "What a lovely name."

"I get that a lot," Faye answered, her voice calm and gentle. Brandon glanced off to the side, regrettably spotting another thirsty customer.

"If you need anything else Faye, please don't hesitate to ask," he smiled with a wink.

"I won't," the woman replied likewise. She watched him walk to another portion of the bar, leaning in jovially to ask 'what'll it be?' to the next patron. She smiled lightly, grabbing her glass and slipping off of her stool.

Faye headed over to the roulette table when another table caught her eye. A young woman stood behind a green, felt-covered table dealing out cards to a trio of men looking to get lucky with the deck. Cascades of brown, wavy hair fell over her shoulder from a low ponytail as she slid cards to her patrons. Hazelnut eyes peered at them from beneath the curtain of her trendy side part. She wore a pink vest over a white dress shirt, her uniform. "That's twenty-one," she spoke, her eyes smiling. Her voice sounded young and fresh.

Faye looked on for a while, nostalgically thinking of her gig as a casino card dealer less than a year ago. In a moment, her face grew mellow and reminiscent. Bowing her head, she strode away from the dealer's table. _I'd almost forgotten how I met Spike,_ she thought warmly. _Lunkhead._

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_**Another chapter completed! What did you think? Feel free to drop me a review! **  
_


	3. Resentment

_**Here's chapter 3, folks. I hope you all enjoy!**_

**Resentment**

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"Where in God's name have you been, Faye?"

Faye stepped through the circular door that led to the living area, only to be confronted by a tall, muscular, very angry Jet Black. She glanced at him, sitting on the old yellow couch stiffly with his large arms folded. His face was in its perpetual scowl.

"I told you I went out, Jet," she smartly replied stepping into the room. She wore a fitted black midriff halter with small white polka dots. A pair of white denim capris hugged her lower body. Black, stacked-heel pumps clunked along the metal floor. Four large shopping bags were draped on her arms. Without thought, she wandered toward her room.

"You neglected to tell me you'd be _out_ for three days!" Jet stated a little less than calmly. His voice stopped her.

"Oh. My bad," she answered nonchalantly, peering over the black shades that sat on her dainty nose.

"Faye, you can't just go stealing people's ships from under their noses just so you can go out and have a shopping spree! Did I ever tell you that you could take the Hammerhead?" Jet lectured, standing from his position on the couch.

"Oh Jet," Faye sighed, clomping down the metal stairs. "You don't understand! I was suffocating! I needed an escape!" she replied dramatically. She plopped down on the yellow chair in front of the large man, letting her bags drop at her sides. "This place isn't good for me right now." Jet looked down at her, realizing that her gaze was directed at the sofa behind him as he stood. At that moment he knew what she was thinking about.

With a heavy sigh, Jet descended onto the sofa again, rubbing his face and head with both hands. "I understand, Faye," he groaned regrettably, looking at her through his hands. He leaned back into the cushions. "Times are rough now, but we can't just give up and run away. You have to deal with it." Faye gave a sigh, removing her sunglasses and dropping them into one of her bags.

"Is the Redtail fixed yet?" she asked, sounding just as serious as Jet.

"Well, I've been working on it. It's still missing a few parts. I would have gone out for them if _you_ hadn't swiped the Hammerhead. You know I can't get very far on this leg," he said, motioning to his injury of less than a week ago. "But frankly, Faye, I think you're missing my point."

"No, Jet. You're missing mine," Faye contradicted. Her features took on a much more melancholy demeanor. Her voice pulled at her throat, as if trying to pull a sob out with it. "I don't want to stay on this ship anymore," she said. Her eyebrows furrowed with a sad entreaty.

"Faye," Jet said gently as he watched a silent tear fall from her bejeweled eye. Hurriedly she wiped it away, inhaling a deep breath. The man limped closer and sat on the coffee table before her. Sadly he came to a realization as he looked at the depressed woman. "If that's the way you feel," he sighed, "I'll try to have it fixed as soon as possible."

Faye looked up at him, confusion in her features. It slowly faded into a sad smile. "Sounds like you want me to go," she said, peering at him through her purple hair.

"It may sound strange, but I actually want what you want this time," Jet responded. "If you wanna go, I can't keep you here against your will. Besides, I'd rather have the mean old, deceitful, petty, disagreeable Faye than a miserable and depressed one."

"Well, there's a comforting thought," Faye said, regularity returning to her face again. Jet gave a small smile. It was short-lived, as his face sobered up once more.

"Do you really want to go, Faye?" Jet's grey eyes bore into Faye's green ones, silently begging her to stay.

Faye, sensing his strong emotion, looked away. She had already made up her mind to go, and didn't want any persuasion otherwise. She gave a slow nod in response.

"Alright then," Jet said. His voice was gruff to mask his sadness. "I'll see what I can do for the Redtail. Just don't steal the Hammerhead again in the meantime," he said, standing from the table. He made his way to the stairs, limping without his crutch. As he slowly climbed the steps, Faye remained seated on the yellow chair. She sat silent and still, listening to Jet's movements until he had reached beyond her earshot. With a sigh, she gathered her bags and headed up to her room.

Jet sat idly in his bonsai room, staring at a little tree that sat before him and stared back. His garden trimmers sat on the table next to the little plant, posing no threat. The man rested his head in his hands and gazed at the miniature figure. For some reason, he wasn't in the mood for trimming just then. His trees brought him comfort; not only was trimming them therapeutic, but simply being in the room with them soothed his racing mind. The fragrance of the foliage was relaxing as well. Little flowers on some of his trees opened up, spewing forth invisible and sweet-smelling spores.

While watching the little plant, Jet's head was filled with doubt and uncertainty. He thought about what had become of his social life over the past few weeks. First, Edward and Ein had disappeared without a trace. With a heavy heart, Jet remembered the giant farewell message Ed had left behind in striking red paint. Faye had gone too, but Jet seemed to be alright with that, simply because he still had his buddy Spike. However, the shrew had come crawling back. But now, Spike had gone on his stupid vengeance spree, a suicide mission, four days ago, leaving him alone with that troublesome woman. But that didn't seem to be the problem. No, that wasn't it at all. Now Faye was leaving. And this time there was no one else left.

The more Jet dwelled on the subject, the more resentful he became. There had always seemed to be something about Spike Spiegel. No matter how many times Faye had threatened to leave the Bebop for good, she had always come back. Jet had a sinking feeling that the reason for her consistent return was Spike. He had always had a certain magnetism about him. Jet knew it. And it wasn't just good looks and abundant hair that Spike had. It was something much deeper than those things. There had to be something behind the fact that not only women, but men, children, the elderly and even animals felt a strange gravitation to him. Jet thought this amusing, remembering the three things Spike had explicitly expressed his dislike for: 'kids, animals and women with attitude'. _Can't help that one, can you Spike-o?_ Jet thought.

Jet's resentment grew when he realized he was included in this vast lump of beings that was magnetized by Spike. _That idiot,_ he thought._ Why did he have to just go like that? Didn't he care for us on the Bebop one bit?_ Jet closed his eyes, suppressing his anger. _Some friend._ He took a deep breath, taking in the sweet smell of plant life that surrounded him. With a sigh, he reached into his pocket for a cigarette.

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_**Sorry about the wait, folks. It is exam week, you know. Heehee! I'll try my best to crank'em out faster though. I only have, what, four exams left? Phew! Not to worry. It shall all be over soon and I'll be able to devote my full attention to completing the story and apealing to you, the public once again. **_


	4. Well Rested Journey

_**This one's a quickie. But I think it's cute! I hope you agree!**_

**Well Rested Journey  
**

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"_Hey! Give it back!"_

"_No way! I saw it first!"_

"_Hey, I'll race ya!"_

"_You're on!"_

"_Ha ha! Lookit what I made!"_

"_Can I have your nails please?"_

"_No way! Leave us alone!"_

Edward waywardly found herself back at the Catholic orphanage she and Faye had visited weeks ago. Ein trotted happily behind the girl as she spotted the other unruly children. "Hey, Ed's back!" one kid shouted above the rest. Ed gleefully ran toward her friends, laughing all the way.

"Look! Ed brought a woof-woof too!" she smiled, picking up the Corgi to show to the group. Ein panted merrily at the attention. The children gathered around the small dog with smiles and outstretched hands.

"Aww! He's so cute!" said one little girl, gripping a small glass jar almost filled with fingernail clippings.

"I wanna pet 'im!" came a voice from the back of the cluster.

"Hey, where's that lady, Ed?" spoke another child, wearing a makeshift hero's cape.

"Yeah, the one with the boobies!" supplemented a boy with a cooking pot on his head. Edward grinned.

"Faye-Faye found where she belongs," the hacker answered with a smile.

As the children giggled and conversed in their close grouping, a voice from the dilapidated building nearby shouted across the orange sky. "Kids! Dinner!"

A unified chorus of "Yeah!" emerged from the young group as they migrated toward the old edifice. Standing at the entrance of the orphanage was the sweet nun who had cared for Edward when she first wandered onto the premises nearly three years ago.

With a pleasantly surprised countenance, the Sister placed a hand on her cheek. "Edward! Back again?" she smiled at the young redhead. Ed just giggled in response. "What brings you back here, Ed?"

"Edward won't be here for long," said the girl regrettably. "I'm looking for father-person!"

"Oh, is that so?" the Sister replied. "I wish you good luck with that!" she said, a slight twinge of sarcasm in her voice. "In the meantime, why don't you come in for a bite to eat and a place to sleep?" the Sister smiled warmly. Ed grinned widely.

"Alright!" she exclaimed, running in after the other children and laughing excitedly.

* * *

Jet sat in his bonsai room, a light snore emanating from his lips and nose. He leaned back onto the wall behind him, dozing in peace. Three burnt out cigarette butts sat idly in a nearby ashtray while he slept. The Bebop was extremely quiet. 

Faye padded down the hall toward Jet's bonsai room, ready to disrupt him. "Hey Jet," she spoke before reaching the threshold of the room. With a sigh, her violet head peeped around the corner and into Jet's quarters. Faye stopped, looking in at the slumbering man. A warm smile crept over her face as she watched him. "Seems almost a shame to wake the guy," she whispered to herself. "Maybe I'll bug him later." She gave him one last look, contemplating entering the room to have a seat. Finally thinking better of it, she decided to leave the man alone. "Sleep tight, big guy," she whispered with a wave as she left the doorway.

Faye knew the value of a good nap.

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_**There's my short little chapter for the night. Stay tuned! The next chapter guarantees to be a good one!**_


	5. Two Down

_**It's the greatly anticipated chapter you've all been waiting for, chapter 5! I hope you all enjoy!**_

**Two Down...**_  
_

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_Everything is black. Pitch black. Nothing's visible… except… yellow? No, blonde. Blonde wavy tresses. There's something else… blue. Eyes, the deepest and clearest of blue. Another color? Hard to describe… smooth, sweet and soft as suede. Her lips… she's smiling… such an amazing smile. It's clearer now. Bright. Fading… like a dream…_

_Julia…_

The light was almost blinding. Molasses eyes blinked and squinted against the flow of sunlight that bathed the room in its glow. Not wanting to confront the searing light, Spike closed his brown orbs again. He hoped to see the subject of his dreams once more, but all that was visible was the red-hot color of sunlight glowing through his eyelids. He scrunched his eyes closed as tightly as he could, only then seeing the swirling, iridescent rainbow of color that danced under his lids. Growing frustrated, Spike crept his eyes open, sneaking a peek at the light source. A tall window overlooked where he lay, bright sunlight streaming in and splaying itself across his body. _Damn east window,_ he thought bitterly.

As he closed his eyes again, Spike heard footsteps calmly approaching his side. He didn't turn to see who it was; his neck felt stiff and rough, but he listened. The feet stopped close to him, and he felt fingers daintily handling his right wrist. The fingertips were cool on his skin. He could just barely feel fingernails ever so slightly poking at his palm. His arm was gently placed back at his side and he heard subtle scratching, like a pen on paper. Spike tapped his fingers on the thin, uncomfortable mattress to get attention.

"Oh," the doctor spoke with surprise. Spike listened to the voice. It sounded as if it belonged to a young woman. "You're awake. That's a good thing!" she said pleasantly.

Spike lazily released a low, glottal groan, which seemed to grind from his throat. His fingertips rose, slowly pointing toward the tall window. She easily understood.

"Not a morning person, are you?" the doctor said sweetly. She made her way around Spike's hospital bed and pulled the drapery over the warm glass in the window. Slowly Spike's eyes opened again, adjusting to the new, much less intense, lighting. He looked around the room. It was white and disturbingly sterile. Nothing new about a hospital room. He had seen the inside of one more times than he could count. As his glance finally fell on the doctor in the room, she was looking down at her clipboard. With a smile, she looked back at him, into his chestnut eyes. "Well, it's nice to see you're finally awake, Mr. Spiegel," she said.

_Shit, _Spike thought. _I really am still here._

"You've been out cold for a little over three weeks now. We were worried you'd fallen into a vegetative state." Her voice carried some remorse. "But something about you seemed promising," she continued, her tone returning to a more cheerful one. "It looks like our persistence paid off!" Spike looked at the young doctor. She was on the short side, but quite pretty. Her skin reminded him of coffee with cream. Her hair was black and shiny, and incredibly thick as it sat bundled in a rather large messy bun on the back of her head. "I'm Dr. Chandrakala," she said with another smile. She brushed aside a few small wisps of hair that had escaped their constraints. "I'm sure you're aware of this, but you suffered some pretty severe injuries last month. You lost a lot of blood. In fact, about enough to cause at least some brain trauma. We did, however, locate a blood donor for you and the transfusion was quite a success. After your cat scan there was little to no damage at all, lucky for you! We've stitched you up and you seem to be healing just fine!"

Spike's eyes slid closed in contemplation. _So I cheated death again. Not even close._ His eyes opened again toward the ceiling, squinting against the harsh lights that lie across it.

"Well, Mr. Spiegel," Dr. Chandrakala spoke with a light sigh, "I'm gonna leave you to get some rest, not that you need a whole lot," she laughed. Spike's face softened at her joke. "I'll be back to check on you soon. If you need anything at all before then, just push this little button right here." She showed him a small button pad briefly before placing it on his mattress next to his hand. As she watched his fingers curl around the pad she gave a smile. "I'll see you in a bit!" she said gleefully. She turned to leave the room.

"What's the S stand for?" Spike asked groggily, catching the little doctor off guard. His voice sounded hoarse, raspy and unused.

"Hm?" she said, confused. The thin patient lifted a hand to point at the little bronzed nametag that sat clipped to her white lab coat over teal scrubs. It read 'Dr. S. Chandrakala'. "Oh," she smiled, looking down at the badge. "Siddhi." Spike slowly nodded, closing his eyes in affirmation.

"Nice name."

* * *

_**Well, what did you think? Spike's back! Woot! You knew he would be! Tell me what you think. Feel free to drop me a review! **_

_**By the way, my disclaimer was in the first chapter. I'm using it as a blanket disclaimer for the entire story. **_

_**Hope to get reviews from you soon!**_


	6. Girls' Day Out

_**And here is the next chapter! I hope everyone enjoys it!**_

**Girls' Day Out**_**  
**_

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The sun felt wonderful on Faye's smooth skin as she relaxed on a reclining pool chair near the surface of clear, unnaturally blue water. Her sunglasses shielded her emerald eyes from the UV rays, but nothing, save her minimal bikini, hid her lotioned and oiled skin. She released a sigh, and a smile crept over her soft lips as she lazed about happily. A young man in a tailed tuxedo approached her side carrying a rounded tray. "Here's your mimosa, miss." He said, lowering the drink to her reach. 

"Thank you!" she cheerfully grinned taking the wine glass in her hands.

"Shall I adjust your chair for you?" he asked as Faye sat up with nothing to lean on.

"Yes, could you?" Faye asked with exaggerated helplessness, although with a drink in her hands it wasn't too far off.

"Of course," the server smiled, lifting the back of her chair so she could lean upright against it. "Is there anything else you need?" he asked hopefully. Anything for the chance to assist such a beautiful woman.

"If I think of anything, I'll flag you down, alright… Jorge?" Faye replied, glancing at the name plaque on the boy's chest.

"Alright, miss," Jorge replied. With that, he departed, carrying the round tray behind his back.

Faye watched him leave, reclining with a blissful sigh. Sipping on her mimosa, Faye was content. Four months away from the Bebop and a couple of bounty heads had definitely done her some good. There was nothing she could think of more rewarding than a life without Jet, without the Bebop, without those nagging memories of Spike.

* * *

Ed sat criss-cross on the rocky Earth terrain as a familiar yellow terrestrial vehicle zoomed out of sight again. Since Edward had found her father three months ago, this was the twelfth time that this had happened. On such an exceedingly hot day, the girl sat, an egg yolk on the flat rock in front of her, staring helplessly into the horizon after the tractor. Unlike the aircrafts that she had controlled with her hacking skills, this vehicle was manually driven. No mono systems installed for locomotion or anything. The least she could do to the craft was change the radio stations from afar. Ed had never wished anyone were more modern and up-to-date in her entire life. 

At least by now, Ed knew where her father called home. She stood on her thin legs and consulted her tomato's GPS system. Looking down at her side, she was disappointed not to see Ein anywhere. The dog had decided to sleep in today. He was probably still on that yellow craft. With an ever-ready smile, Edward resigned herself to walking back to the Lütfen residence alone.

"Uh, Mr. Appledelhi, sir," asked a young man at the helm of the craft.

"What's that, Bartlett?" the large man replied.

"Actually, my name is Barton," the boy answered peevishly. "Anyway, where's that kid of yours?" he asked. "Wasn't she here a few minutes ago?"

"You mean Francois? He's… uh… she's back at my place. She was there a week ago, I think."

"We should go back and look for her."

"Nonsense, Bartender! She's fine! Probably off with Macintosh… Unless of course she's still at that sleep-away camp…"

"Macin_tyre_ quit last month, remember?" sighed Barton. "And it's not hard to see why," he mumbled under his breath.

"Did he? That Macintater was a good kid." Barton rolled his eyes.

"Look, sir. Your daughter was here. The fact that I didn't hear the kid's singing suddenly broke into my consciousness. Even her dog's here, see?" Barton pointed down to where Appledelhi usually kept his chickens at Ein, who looked up at him with cute, doggy eyes. The massive man looked down at the pooch.

"Oh yeah, Stein!"

Ein woofed in protest.

A chicken gave the dog a reassuring cluck.

_Damn internship,_ thought Barton.

* * *

_**Aww! Poor Edward! Not to worry, I'm sure she'll be fine. **_**n.n _Hey! What do you guys think of my little bit before the chapters? Should I save everything for the end like I usually do? Lemme know! Leave a review for me. n.n_**


	7. Letters From A Hacker

_**Here's chapter seven! We're getting closer to more excitement! Please enjoy!  
**_

**Letters From A Hacker **

* * *

Jet walked nonchalantly through the living quarters, a towel wrapped around his waist. Since the time he had fixed Faye's Redtail and watched her fly merrily on her way, he had forced himself to suppress his disappointment. Honestly, he was shocked with how well he'd managed to get along by himself. He was relieved that after the passing of the months, his leg was no longer bothering him. Only the small gathering of scar tissue sat on his thigh to remind him. Of what, he didn't like to think too deeply about. The answer was always Spike.

As he sat in the chair before his computer, he reclined, pleased to be able to at least let his modesty dwindle. Since there was no one else on the ship, he could let loose a little. But that was about the only change he made. The rooms that Spike and Faye had occupied during their stay on the Bebop remained untouched and unexamined, their contents shut away from his view. He even tended not to walk on the spots where Edward and Ein used to lie on the floor. In spite of the frivolity of the notion, Jet barely noticed these habits.

Rubbing his bare head and face with a corner of his damp towel, Jet peeked up at the computer screen in front of him. A silent red dot flashed for his attention. "Looks like I've got an email," he mumbled to himself. "Wonder who it's from." With the click of a button, Jet beheld the name of the sender: RadicalEdward1158.

His heart beat with excitement as he opened the electronic message. He had been completely unaware of how much he had hoped it was from a member of the old crew. As he began to read the message, an uncontrollable grin plastered itself to his now softened face.

_AHOY, BEBOP-BEBOP! _

_GREETINGS FROM YOUR FAVORITE ROSY HACKER, EDWARD WONG HAU PEPILEW TIVRUSKI IV! IT HAS BEEN SO LONG SINCE I'VE SEEN YOU ALL! EIN MISSES EVERYONE TOO! ED REMEMBERS THAT FAYE-FAYE LEFT THE BEBOP, BUT I BET FAYE-FAYE CAME BACK! FAYE-FAYE ALWAYS COMES BACK, DON'T YOU, FAYE-FAYE? _

_ANYWHO, EDWARD HOPES EVERYONE IS DOING WELL. OH, AND BY THE WAY, WOULD YOU LIKE TO COME TO EARTH AND VISIT ME, EIN AND THE FATHER PERSON? EIN AND I MISS YOU THREE SO VERY MUCH! AND DON'T WORRY, SPIKE, ED IS SURE FATHER PERSON KNOWS NOW THAT YOU'RE ONE OF THE GOOD GUYS! YOU JUST HAVE TO COME, BECAUSE NOW OUR HOPES ARE UP! HEE HEE! BEST OF WISHES AND HOPES AND LUCK AND JOY AND JUST ABOUT EVERYTHING ELSE!_

_LOVE,_

_EDWARD WONG HAU PEPILEW TIVRUSKY IV_

It was bittersweet. Jet's grin had gradually faded into a sad, waning smile. Rubbing his head, he felt his heart become heavy. "Poor kid," he sighed. He thought about visiting the girl. The very idea of it pleased him. At least he wouldn't be so alone anymore if he made his visits regular. But then again, she'd be crushed when she discovered the whereabouts of the other two. For a second he thought of trying to contact Faye. He dismissed the notion with contempt. _If Faye wants to be gone, who am I to make her come back?_ he thought snippishly. With a resigned sigh, Jet closed Ed's view window. A smirk crept onto his face as he furiously typed in a contact.

"_What's up? Huh? Hey, Jet! Haven't seen you in a while,_" came a voice from the video feed.

"Yeah, I've been temporarily out of commission," Jet smiled. "Listen Bob, got any hits for me?"

* * *

_**So! Edward has made contact with the Bebop! But what is Jet doing looking for a bounty? Who knows! nn **_

_**Is this enough Ed to tide you over, Kara-ko? If not, don't worry! There's still more to come!**_

_**Where are my reviews, people? My review box is always open! **_


	8. Seven To Go

_**Ta-da! Chapter eight. Please enjoy!**_

**Seven To Go**

* * *

Spike sat up on the edge of his hospital bed, peering out of his room window. He admired the view, although all he could see were more and more buildings of the Martian metropolitan city. He gazed out with angst, excitement, eagerness to leave. Spike was never one for being cooped up.

He sat thinking his liberated thoughts as two doctors approached him. One was the lovely Dr. Chandrakala, and the other was one Spike hadn't seen very often. He was a streamline man with an almost full head of white hair. A pair of designer spectacles sat atop his slender nose as he glanced between the clipboard in his arms and the green haired patient before him. Spike turned to them, curious of what they were about to say.

"Hello, Mr. Spiegel," spoke the snow-haired man. As he offered a hand, Spike gingerly reached out to shake it. "I'm Dr. Tim Wedgwood, nice to see you're up and healing nicely," the doctor said. The intonation of his speech lilted up at the end of each phrase, as if he were asking continuous questions. His voice seemed to lack enthusiasm and expression, but wasn't at all unpleasant.

"Hi," was Spike's simple reply. The use of his last name so often during his stay had made him feel important, yet awkward.

"Well, according to your medical records, you've been through the ringer a time or two," Dr. Wedgwood continued, his statement followed by a casual smile. It was old news to Spike. He gave a half smile as the doctor spoke.

Spike's attention span weaved in and out of consciousness as Wedgwood explained Spike's situation. _Life number three. Ok, Spike, how are you gonna live this one?_

"…fortunately no damage to the brain…"

_It's kinda cold in here. I wonder what they did with my clothes. I'll probably need new clothes anyway._

"…some pain medication administered via I.V. …"

_I wonder how ol' Jet's doing? I bet Faye's been nagging him as usual. Hope Ed's happy with her jerk of a father._

"… spent a relatively short period of time in a comatose state…"

_I think I could go for a cigarette and a cup of coffee right about now._

"…hairline fractures on one of your ribs caused by a heavy blade…"

_Vicious. I succeeded where you failed. I guess your only competition now is the Grim Reaper. Just like it's always been._

"… bullet wound in your left shoulder is looking a lot better…"

_I miss Julia… my Julia._

"… how you might pay off your medical expenses?"

_Medical expenses? _"Huh?"

Spike was pulled back into reality when he vaguely realized he had been asked a question.

"Yes. Any insurance coverage we should be aware of or anything like that?" Dr. Wedgwood looked up at Spike with patience and a seeming interest in his answer. Dr. Chandrakala stood idly beside him, glancing from doctor to patient with anticipation.

"Um," Spike looked down at the I.V. that seamlessly punctured a vein in his left forearm. He thought about Jet. Jet had always helped him out when it came to his medical expenses, albeit begrudgingly. Spike didn't think the man would take too kindly to paying off the debts of a man who he thought had been dead for four months. Sympathy, and a little bit of testosterone-induced pride, kept Spike from mentioning him.

Faye was already in enough debt as it was. To ask her for money would be a pretty tough blow to both of them, not to mention like squeezing blood from a stone. Completely out of the question. He kicked himself for even thinking of such a ludicrous idea. _Desperate times, I guess,_ he thought.

Soon, Spike's expression brightened. Remembering his occupation for the past three years, he realized that all hope was not lost. "I think we can work something out," he said, with a weak, yet manageably charming smile.

* * *

_**Oh, my dear Spike. You're almost free! Get well soon! He's so cute when he daydreams...  
**_

_**As for the rest of you, I haven't seen any reviews lately. Feel free! I'm not goin' anywhere!**_


	9. Reunion

_**And the story goes on...**_

**Reunion**

* * *

Jet relaxed in the cockpit of the Bebop, with landing coordinates set for Earth. He had mixed feelings about going to visit Edward, but secretly longed to see the happy grin on the child's face again. He had even thought to buy the girl a gift, although perhaps it was in lieu of the presence of Spike and Faye. Jet wasn't quite sure if he had ever seen the child sad on the ship, and would be glad if it was kept that way.

He sat back, weaving his fingers across his stomach. _What am I gonna tell the kid? I can't just say 'Spike's dead and Faye ran away,'_ he thought. _Even though it's the truth. But I can't just lie to her either._ Wearily, Jet took a breath and rubbed his face. _I'm sure you'll think of something, old man,_ he told himself. Fortunately, he had a while to think. It was quite a long way from Ganymede to Earth.

But after the nearly two-week long journey, Jet only felt even more anxious. Even if he did lie to Edward, she'd figure it out sooner or later. After all, she was a pretty bright kid. He found himself thinking about the gift he'd bought for her. The capture of a small-fry bounty head was enough to get her a little something special. He hadn't seen Ed show much interest in many things besides computers, food and playing games, but he hoped she'd like it.

As the Bebop entered Earth's atmosphere, Jet readied the ship for its landing. He could see the site where he had picked up Edward a year ago; its only recognizable feature was the water nearby. When the mapping site where he and Spike had first encountered their fifty-woolong bounty came into view, he felt a strange feeling. Not sure of what it was, he tried to shrug it off.

Suddenly, he lost control of the ship. _Oh no!_ he thought. _That's Ed alright. At least I don't have to look very far._ All Jet could do was sit tight as the Bebop zoomed toward a large mass of water. His hands squeezed the arms of his chair as he heard and felt the splash; shortly the ship barreled toward the shoreline. As the ship screeched to a floating halt, Jet reluctantly uncovered his eyes and peeped through the windshield.

"Ahoy! Bebop-Bebop! Here! Over here! Over here!" the hacker shouted, laughing and hopping up and down on a steep pile of rocks. Ein barked joyously, running circles around the girl's feet. Jet smiled, getting out of his seat.

Their reunion was a joyous one as Edward ran toward Jet at full speed. Jet opened his large arms and Edward leapt into them, obnoxiously clinging to his body. "Ed and Ein waited for you!" the girl said through a wide, toothy grin. "You didn't reply to our email, but Ed knew you'd be here!" Jet gave a laugh.

"You were on to me, ruined my surprise," he smiled, returning the little hacker's hugs. Ed laughed childishly into his embrace.

"So, where are Spike and Faye-Faye?" she asked. Jet didn't think it was possible to be prepared for such an anticipated question.

"Uh, well, they're not here right now," was all he could say. It wasn't _exactly_ a lie.

"They did not want to see Ed?" the girl asked with mock indignity. "Is Faye-Faye off spending money again?"

Jet's face displayed a tired apathy. "What else?" he replied lamely.

"Faye-Faye did say she found where she belongs. Maybe she's happy there!" she smiled. Jet at least felt better about Faye's disappearance. "But what about Spike-person, huh?" asked Ed.

"He… went to go take care of some business," Jet sighed. _And he never came back,_ he thought to himself bitterly.

"Aww! Spike's a meanie!" Ed shouted. Letting go of Jet's trunk, the girl bent to pick up the little dog.

Jet smiled, stroking Ein's fur as Ed held the dog up to him. "That he is, kiddo," he replied. He took the dog in his arms, scratching the scruff of his neck with love. "Isn't he, boy?"

Ein stretched his neck to reach his moist nose to Jet's face. With a friendly lick, he gave Jet a sympathizing whimper. Jet had a feeling that Ein could sense he wasn't telling the whole truth.

"So!" Jet piped, masking his nostalgic sadness, "Which way to your house?"

"Ed thought you would never ask!" she grinned. With that, she ran toward the Bebop, wiry arms flailing.

* * *

_**Well, here's chapter nine! I hope you all enjoyed that one. I'm keepin' 'em comin' back to back, so stay tuned!**_


	10. A Weird Welcome

_**...And on...**_

**A Weird Welcome**

* * *

Ed gave Jet directions to the residence of Appledelhi Siniz Hesap Lütfen. The trip was slightly unpleasant, with a man, a kid and a dog all crammed into the pod of the Hammerhead. He was relieved when they finally arrived at their destination. As the ship opened, Edward gleefully leapt out, followed by Jet who carried Ein in his burly arms. Setting the dog on the ground, he turned to the humble residence before him and followed Ed to the door.

"Sally-sal!" Ed called as she steadily knocked on the front door. Jet stood behind her curiously. After a short while, the door opened and a woman stood in the threshold.

"Oh, hi Ed. Your father lost you again?" she said lamely.

"Yep!" Ed replied with not so much as a sigh of remorse.

"You should stay close to him, Ed. You know how terrible he is at remembering you're with him on his trips." Sally looked up and noticed the bald, muscular man wearing a puzzled look. "Did this man bring you home?" she asked the hacker.

"Sally," replied Ed, "meet Jet-person! Ed stayed with him on his ship the Bebop before Ed found father-person. He's here to visit Ed!" Jet took it upon himself to speak.

"Nice to meet you," he said with an awkward smile.

Inside the humble abode, the three of them, Edward, Jet, and Sally sat around a coffee table drinking tea and munching on sweets. Ein silently waddled around the room sniffing here and there only to eventually curl up into a beige, furry ball and take a nap.

"By the looks of this place I wouldn't guess that Appledelhi would have a housekeeper," Jet said. "Uh, in terms of size, I mean," he nervously corrected.

"Yeah, I know what you mean," Sally replied with an understanding smile. "He likes to keep liquid assets. Especially living in a house on Earth. He'd probably move to another planet if he wanted to, but his passion is here. Some passion if you ask me," she smirked.

Jet nodded. He bit into a small lemon-flavored cookie, glancing at the woman across from him. She was older, perhaps in her mid-forties, and somewhat stout. Her hair was short, voluminous with thick, wavy curls. It was a pastel pink, an aging pink.

Edward sat next to Jet on the bland floral sofa, merrily humming as she stacked cookie after cookie in the palm of her hand. "Edward! Cut it out! Those cookies aren't all for you! If you drop them it'll be a waste!" Sally motherly scolded. Jet hadn't noticed Ed's cookie tower until a part of it fell over his arm. Ein was close by, lapping up a few tiny cookies that had hit the floor. With a giggle, Edward fell to her knees, assisting Ein in licking up cookies. Sally gave a sigh as Ed disappeared behind the coffee table. Jet smiled, nostalgically remembering all of Ed's antics while she was a Bebop resident.

"She certainly takes some getting used to, doesn't she?" Jet asked with a smile.

"That she does," Sally replied. "So," she continued," Ed's told me all about you and your crew. She was so excited at the idea of you visiting. Tell me, where is everyone else?"

"To be quite frank, I'm really not sure," Jet slowly replied. "After Ed ran away, I guess you could say we had a bit of a falling out, for reasons unknown." He spoke softly, trying not to steal Edward's attention from Ein and the lemon cookies on the floor.

"I see," Sally said, deciding not to ask any more. "I might say that I've never seen Ed happier, but she seems to be this way all the time. Sometimes I wonder if the kid ever gets sad," she smiled. Jet looked down at the redhead, whose little tanned nose was just barely touching Ein's cold, black rhinarium.

"Yeah, she really is a piece of work," he sighed lamely.

Jet's attention was suddenly drawn by the sound of the front door creaking open and slamming shut. Heavy footfalls followed the crash of the door and grew louder as they grew closer. Who else should step around the corner than Appledelhi Siniz Hesap Lütfen himself! The large man made his way into the living room where Jet and Sally sat. The mere presence of Appledelhi seemed to dwarf the room. As Jet's eyes met those of the big man in the doorway, he couldn't help but notice a feeling of strange resentment. Perhaps it was the fact that this man had nearly given his former partner a concussion upon their last meeting that gave him this unsettling feeling. It was an acceptable reason. Jet left it at that.

"Say," Appledelhi said, his voice aimed at Jet. "Don't I know you from somewhere?"

Ed peered from behind the coffee table as she heard her father speak. "Father-person!" she shouted. Springing to her feet, she ran toward the gargantuan man.

"Hey, Francois!" he grinned, scooping the girl into his massive arms. He swung her around a few times, miraculously missing the decor that Jet and Sally just knew would hit the floor. He placed the girl down next to him and she threw her little arms around his torso.

"You remember Jet-person, don't you?" she said, looking up at her father. "He's the one I stayed with until I found you!" Appledelhi was silent for a few seconds.

"Oh yeah!" he suddenly shouted boisterously. "Thanks for taking care of my daughter! ... Or was it my son?"

Jet was unsure if he was wearing his poker face at this point. He felt like he was staring at this man as if he had three extra limbs. "Uh, don't mention it," he said slowly. _This guy seems even denser than I remember,_ he thought.

* * *

_**Good ol' Jet! Ya gotta love him! I know I do!**_


	11. Guess Who!

_**...And On! Please enjoy!**_

**Guess Who?**

* * *

Ein lay on the floor, in the center of an antique-looking circular rug. His brown doggie eyes scanned the room, jumping from person to person as the humans conversed.

"So!" Appledelhi said merrily. "What is it you do, Jet?" Jet wondered if he should lie to the man. He was a bounty hunter, and Appledelhi was a bounty; albeit a small one, but a bounty nonetheless. But he had no interest in catching this guy anyway.

"Well, I used to work for the ISSP. I'm self-employed now," he answered wisely. Once again it was just a half truth.

Ein gave a quiet sigh.

"So I see!" Appledelhi smiled. Jet could see where Edward got her cheerfulness. "It's great being out there all on your own, isn't it? It's like a big helping of freedom! No one telling you what to do… it's just so liberating!"

"As a matter of fact, it is!" Jet smiled. "Just wish it was a little bit more rewarding." Appledelhi wasn't very difficult to get to like, in spite of his absent-mindedness.

"I see what you mean there, buddy!" the larger man replied. He wore a wide grin as he spoke.

As the men talked, Sally entered from the little kitchen, Edward peering around the corner after her. "Soup's on," she called, disappearing back into the kitchen.

"You're welcome to stay for diner, friend," Appledelhi smiled, giving Jet a sturdy pat on the shoulder. The embrace was rough.

"I'd hate to impose," Jet groaned, wincing away the slight pain.

"Impose? Don't be ridiculous, Jeff!"

Ein yawned, standing on his short little legs and trotting to Edward's side.

"Yay! Jet-person's eating din-din with us!" Edward laughed, picking up Ein gleefully.

Ein gave a bark.

Jet was actually happy to have been invited to dinner. For one thing, he didn't have to cook. He also felt freer than he had been in the past. For once there was no hungry Faye to feed, no bottomless pit Spike to appease. He was free to come and go as he pleased. Feeding Edward was someone else's problem now.

Somehow Jet wasn't surprised at what was being served for dinner. "It's one of my specialties: my southwest chicken omlette!" Sally proudly announced. She carried two plates, the first servings she placed in front of Edward and Jet respectively. Jet glanced over at Edward. Her amber eyes sparkled and her mouth watered with anticipation. Inwardly, he smiled. How he had missed that hungry face.

As the girl attacked her plate, Jet turned to Sally, who was just returning with plates for herself and Appledelhi. "Smells great," he said. Sally giggled humbly. She appreciated any compliments she received for her cooking. Appledelhi rarely mentioned it. Jet swallowed down a forkful of omlette gratefully. His visit wasn't as painful as he'd anticipated.

* * *

_**Yay! Jet is having fun! I was worried he'd be miserable there. What's your feedback?I'd like to hear a review or two! n.n**_


	12. Nobody, Not Really

_**I hope you all enjoy chapter twelve!**_

**Nobody, Not Really**_**  
**_

* * *

_**Who really cares?  
Who really cares?  
When I talk,  
What I feel,  
What I say?  
Nobody, not really.**_

Faye stood behind the guardrail, watching and cheering as a sprightly pack of greyhounds zoomed around a dusty track. "Come on, Poppy!" she whispered excitedly, cheering on the red dog with a number six strapped to her back. "Come on, you can do it! Go, go, go!" she watched intently, eyes on the blur of red fur as it approached the finish line. The checkered flag flew in a swift, downward motion as dog after dog dashed over the white line. Faye cringed as the voices of the sports announcers came through the speakers.

"_And it looks like another win for number three, Chomper_!"

"_Yep, he's a speedy one, that he is, Ted_!"

A low growl escaped her throat as the announcers' chipper voices echoed throughout the venue. She looked at the little blue dog out on the track, trotting in circles, almost victoriously. Then she glanced at her contender, Poppy, who was being loved and petted up by her trainer. He gave the red dog a treat, and she seemed happy enough. "If only life were that simple," Faye sighed to herself as she looked down at the betting tickets she held in her hands. Fifty thousand woolongs down the drain. That didn't leave her much to go on. _I really should kick the gambling habit,_ she thought as she tossed the tickets into a nearby trash can on her way out. _But I need the money._ As she walked out to the parking lot, she looked up at her Redtail, which hogged parking spaces from three cars.

_**Who wants to take  
The time to understand?  
I'd like someone to  
Hear me with some empathy  
I can't find  
Nobody, not really.**_

_I suppose I could always take up bounty hunting again._

* * *

Having been thrown into such situations on numerous occasions, the one thing Spike could never get used to was paperwork. On a usual occurrence, Jet would have handled the technical stuff. Now, since he was practically alone in the world again, he had to do it all himself. He looked so displeased with the clipboard full of official forms that Dr. Chandrakala almost regretted having to hand it to him. "There, there. It's not so bad," she smiled with her dark, almond shaped eyes, giving him a pat on the back. He turned to her with a disarming frown, one that made him look unusually haggard for a man his age. She didn't know whether to compare him to a sixty-year-old or a six-year-old. She turned to leave the room, on her face she tried to conceal a grin. This patient was quite an amusing one.

Spike couldn't help but let his mind wander as he filled in the blanks with a compromise of what was fact and what he thought they'd like to hear. He was at least glad he could be left alone with the papers. It gave him a chance to think; about his answers, and anything else he wanted to think about.

He thought about the Bebop.

He missed it there, he had to admit. Jet had always been such a good friend to him. Only a guy as nice as Jet would take someone like Spike, a drug syndicate escapee, under his wing. _The big softie,_ Spike thought. _I never really disliked your bell peppers and beef. Even though it never had any beef in it. _

_**Maybe I'm invisible to the world.  
Does anyone in the world even think of me  
As more than just a hopeless cause?  
Maybe the world is not my block,  
My stoop,  
My life,  
My dreams,  
My anything.**_

As much as he missed being on the Bebop, Spike made a somewhat conscious decision not to go back. The fact that he never felt any regret for being such a burden for Jet was catching up with him. His past had a tendency of doing that. The Bebop was just a memory to him now. Just another link in the chain of his past. It was gone, along with Mao, Annie, Lin and Shin, Jet, Edward, Ein, Faye, Vicious, and Julia.

God, how he missed Julia.

She was one of his addictions, a masochistic habit. He had spent most of his waking moments thinking about her. If he could be thrown into solitary confinement where he had nothing to do but imagine her silky blonde hair gliding across his cheek, he would gladly accept. Before, he had always had hopes of finding her and being happily reunited once more. The knowledge that he would never see her again made him ache. He decided that perhaps life wasn't a dream after all. At least not anymore. If it were, he'd be in her arms again.

_Oh well. Time to start over new._

_**All alone in a big empty space  
With nobody, not really.**_

* * *

_**Hello, everyone! I hope you all liked my chapter twelve! Sorry for the delay; I've been a little, uh, distracted. Heh! Anywho, yes, this is a song chapter! Special thanks to Alicia Keys and her song "Nobody, Not Really". It's a great song; really pretty. Give it a listen! Download it! Woot! **_


	13. Presence and Presents

_**Voila! Lucky chapter thirteen! Please Enjoy!**_

**Presence and Presents**

* * *

Jet sat alone on his yellow sofa, leaning back into the cushions and giving a glance to the slow moving ceiling fan above him. A cigarette jutted from his lips as he reclined. He turned his attention to the vid screen that sat before him, the only light illuminating the room. He picked up the remote, flipping through the channels after deciding that what he was watching wasn't very interesting. His stay on Earth was going rather well, except for the fact that the Bebop had been pelted with the occasional rock shower from time to time. It would all be over soon though. He wasn't going to stay on Earth forever.

It surprised him when he suddenly heard the door to the living quarters whirr open at the top of the stairs. After going so long without people always coming and going, he had grown accustomed to the lack of traffic. He looked up at the landing at a familiar sparkling grin. The light from the television reflected moving pixels of blue off of amber eyes. "Edward?" Jet said, removing the cigarette from his lips. "It's late. What are you doing here?"

"Ooh! It's dark. Spooky and scary!" the redheaded girl spoke, using her strange creature voice. It was then that Jet noticed a second pair of glowing eyes in the dark. They moved out of view as Edward bent down to the floor. The familiar sound of little canine claws clicking on the metal floor revealed the second visitor. Ein trotted up to the bald man, raising himself to place his little paws on Jet's knee. Edward was soon to follow. "Ein and I wanted to say 'hello'!" the hacker said cheerfully, flipping over the back of the sofa and landing neatly by Jet's side.

"I see," Jet replied, a faint smile forming on his face.

"Also, Ed could not sleep," the girl added. Jet was a little surprised.

"Since when can _you_ not sleep?" he asked. She even sounded tired. A little.

"Um…" the girl trailed off. She looked up and away pensively. "I dunno!" She grinned as Jet rolled his eyes. He sat back into the cushions, tenderly scratching Ein's furry neck.

"Anyway, I still find it hard to believe," he sighed.

"Are Spike and Faye-Faye back yet?" asked Ed, craning her head around the room, hoping to catch a glimpse of either of the missing persons.

"Nope, still gone," Jet replied. He frowned to himself. She'd find out eventually. He decided to change the subject. "Ed, won't your father be worried if he wakes up in the middle of the night and finds you missing?"

"I dunno," Ed replied simply. Her nonchalance in answering the question puzzled Jet.

"Would he even notice?" he mumbled.

"I dunno," Ed said. She still sounded as chipper as ever. Jet hadn't expected to hear to answer that one. He thought he had spoken to himself. The answer worried him. Ed continued to speak. "Father-person goes on his mapping trips with his assistant a lot. Sometimes I get to go and he lets me help! But he usually forgets that I'm with him and he drives off without Ed." Jet found it odd that Ed's tone of voice was so calm and conversational, especially when speaking of her own abandonment. Inwardly, he was disturbed. His face reflected a gruff, brooding disdain.

_Whenever I take Ed out, I always remember her,_ he thought. _Then again, maybe she just likes being lost. She usually wanders off and I can never find her._ Then suddenly he remembered.

"Say, Ed. I got you something."

"Ah! Something for Ed?" the girl asked, her amber eyes reflecting joy and excitement.

"That's right," he replied. He stood, giving himself better access to his pocket. "I figured since I haven't seen you in a while I should bring you a… house warming gift. Of course, it's not really _your_ house or anything, but now that you have a home now…" He stopped speaking as he dangled Ed's present before her nose.

Ed smiled, ecstatic at the gift. She put out her hand daintily as Jet placed in her palm a silver, snake chain necklace. On it, three smooth beads carved of quartz gems were strung, one pink, one blue and one green. Each was separated by a tiny, silver bead. "Ohhh-ho-ho! Shiny! Pretty! Sparkly!" the girl enthused, holding the chain carefully between two fingers. She held it to Ein's level. "Look, Ein!" she laughed as the Welsh Corgi sniffed the glittering jewelry.

Ein panted with excitement.

"Whadda ya think?" Jet asked, subduing the delight that fought to appear on his face.

"I like it a lot! Ed likes, and so does Ein!" the girl grinned. Jet smiled.

"Let's see how it looks on you," he said, gently retrieving the necklace. He prompted the girl to turn as he grabbed a hold of the clasp. It was situations like these he was glad he was right-handed. His eyes strained to see through the dark, glowing atmosphere.

Ed turned to him again, her little bronzed fingers glued to the smooth crystals at her neck. "Is Ed pretty?" she smiled, placing a hand behind her head in a glamorous pose. Jet wished he had thought to turn on a light.

"Very pretty," he smiled, placing a large, metal hand on her head. Ed giggled.

"Yay! Edward is super pretty and sexy and glamorous!" she laughed, striking pose after pose, as if modeling for the camera. Jet chuckled, leaning back into the yellow cushions again.

"You hungry, kid?" he asked. Ed stopped in mid pose.

"Eh?" she asked with inquiring golden eyes.

"I can whip us up a little midnight snack, whadda ya say?"

"Ooh! Yeah! Midnight late night moonlight snacky munchy dreams!" she sang merrily, following Jet as he stood to make his way to the kitchen.

* * *

_**I would have to say that this chapter is my favorite in the whole story so far! My grandma actually gave me this necklace when I was about ten or eleven. I figured it's good jewlerey for a sweet little girl to have. Plus, Jet is just so awesome! I wish I had a dad like Jet! n.n **_


	14. Old Habits Die Hard

_**And heeeeeeeeeeeere's chapter fourteen! Please enjoy!**_

**Old Habits Die Hard**

* * *

Spike ambled down a Martian street, his hands shoved in pockets. His pants and trench coat had been preserved for him during his hospital stay, but unfortunately, his yellow dress shirt and his favorite jacket hadn't survived the showdown with Vicious. With the help of the compassionate Dr. Siddhi Chandrakala, he was covered. He wore an old shirt that belonged to her husband Anjum. It was more casual because of the short sleeves, but he liked it because it was yellow. And it smelled sweet, such that every once in a while he would get a sudden and inexplicable craving for baklava. The scent would fade eventually. The trench made him a bit shady, especially on such a nice and temperate day, so he draped the garment over his forearm as he walked. 

As Spike strolled along the sidewalk to where they told him his ship had been moved, a speedy mail truck zoomed by. From it a fat stack of newspapers was thrown. Spike had to swerve in his tracks to avoid being hit. But on the whole, the paper looked interesting. He decided to help himself before a shopkeeper emerged from nowhere in particular to shoo him away.

**_cowboybebopcowboybebopcowboybebopcowboybebop _**

He looked up at his Swordfish as she sat alone and unused in a holding garage. With her wings all folded up and vertical, she wasn't much to look at just then, but Spike couldn't have been happier to see her after all this time. "Why can't I get rid of you?" he asked with a smile as he approached the red mono racer. He ran a hand along her surface; some parts were smooth, others were scratched and dented. "Like a little piece of home," he smiled to himself as he embraced the ravaged metal vessel. 

"Hey!" a voice called from behind him.

"Huh?" Spike turned to see a somewhat portly man with a laminated nametag dangling in a plastic protector.

"That's someone's ship, you know!"

"Yeah, it's mine," Spike replied. The man looked down at the clipboard he was carrying, then up at the red racer and the lanky man in front of it.

"You Spike Spiegel?" he asked, cocking an eyebrow.

"That's me," he answered.

"Your ship has been here for almost six months. You do know you gotta pay for its storage here. And it's compounded at three percent interest." Spike raised his eyebrows in surprise.

"So, how much is this gonna put me in the hole?" he asked.

"Uh," the man began, looking at the clipboard. "'Bout sixty-five thousand." Spike frowned, digging his wallet out of his pants pocket. He opened it up and peeked inside.

"Do you think you might make an exception? I don't have that much." He looked into his wallet again. Only ten thousand woolongs.

"…I doubt it," the man spoke. He motioned with his clipboard for Spike to follow him.

Upon stepping into a small office, Spike helped himself to a basic, bland-looking chair that sat in front of a desk. As the man sat behind the little desk, Spike noticed the name on his nametag was Daniel.

Daniel opened his mouth to speak when suddenly the phone interrupted him. "'Scuse me," he said, holding up an index finger. He lifted the receiver.

"Hello, Tharsis vehicle storage? ... Oh, hey there! …Uh-huh… I see… You don't say? ... Well, it hasn't been done too often, but no, it's not against the rules. … Yes ma'am! … Thanks… have a good day."

Spike stared at the man on the phone, trying to hear the voice on the other end of the line. Daniel hung up the phone.

"Well, Mr. Spiegel," Daniel sighed, lightly tossing the clipboard onto the desk with a wooden plop. "Looks like you're free to go," he said, heaving himself from his desk chair. Spike was pleasantly surprised. He wore a faint smile.

_I knew that voice sounded familiar,_ he thought. "That was painless," he said.

"I guess so. That was a friend of mine. Says you're one of her patients over at the hospital." Spike raised an eyebrow.

"Well, it's a small galaxy," he replied.

"Consider yourself lucky," Daniel said. "Siddhi's a nice gal, but it's not every day she likes someone enough to give 'em money. Of course most people around here don't really need it."

"Can't really call it luck then, can you?" Spike shrugged, standing from his little chair. He headed for the door. "Thanks," he tossed over his shoulder on his way out.

Heading back out to his ship, Spike took a glance at his pilfered newspaper. The headliner read: CRAZED KILLER ON THE LOOSE!

"Hmm," Spike thought aloud as he skimmed the article. As he read, he found something worthwhile. The word _bounty_ jumped out at him. With a smile, Spike searched the article for something more important. "Bingo! Not bad," he murmured to himself as he found the figure _₩ __2.5 million. _ He continued reading. "The culprit said to have fled to Venus, huh? I guess it's time for a trip," he smiled greedily.

* * *

Hopping the asteroids hadn't brought Faye much luck with finding money. Odd jobs and gambling seemed to get her nowhere fast. Sadly, she hadn't forgotten that she could earn more money than she could ever count in a profession she wouldn't touch with a ten-foot pole. Being a card dealer had been fun, but it didn't pay as much as she would have liked. The last time she had done it, she was getting quite a deal. Having a three hundred million woolong debt lifted from her shoulders was worth the time. Thinking about it made her nostalgic. And angry. If only that lunkhead hadn't come along and ruined her chances. 

"Ah-ha! This guy looks well worth it!" enthused Faye as she viewed some data on the small computer screen in her ship. "A murderer? Sounds interesting!" She had been poking around the internet fishing for a good catch. In spite of Faye's negative experiences with bounty hunting, the flying around, the being shot at, the starving to death, and not to mention the being reminded of Spike, the idea of hunting down bounty heads seemed worth a shot. Her rouged lips curled into a cherry smile as she caught a glimpse of the bounty figure: 2.5 million woolongs. She studied the face of the culprit, making sure to commit it to memory. "Venus, huh?" she said to herself. "They have the best casinos there." She booted up the Redtail with a smile as she set coordinates for Venus.

* * *

_**Well, what did you think? I know you've all been clamoring for more Spike and Faye in the story. There will be even more of them soon, so stay tuned! I guess no one likes Jet and Edward. U.U**_


	15. Change Of Heart

_**Please enjoy chapter fifteen!**_

**Change Of Heart**

* * *

Jet placed before Edward a small, metal bowl, frosted with three generous scoops of mint chocolate chip ice cream. Jet never used to buy ice cream. The last time he even had any was when he was helping the young Meifa find her father. But since the ship had been empty, he could afford to splurge on a little more for himself.

"All right! Ice cream! Ice cream! Ice cream! Woo-hooo!" Edward cheered as she set eyes on the bowl of sweet, cold, creamy goodness. She grabbed the spoon that was haphazardly scooted to her side of the table and preceded to make short work of the treat. Jet looked up from his own bowl at the human vacuum before him.

"Ed! Slow down! You wanna get an ice cream headache?" he warned paternally.

"Aaaaii!" the girl suddenly exclaimed, dropping the spoon to the coffee table and forcefully grabbing the sides of her fiery head. "Brain freeze!" she shouted as she fell onto the floor writhing in agony.

"I warned you," Jet sighed.

Ein whined with agreement and empathy.

"So," Jet spoke, later, after Edward had recovered from her frothy experience. "How do you like it living back on Earth?"

"It's alright, I guess," Ed replied, between slower spoonfuls.

"You have fun with your dad?" Jet pried, inwardly determined to have Edward's favor.

"Ed has fun with and without father-person," she smiled. "When he's not there, Ein and I have a good time, right, Ein?" she asked, turning her attention to the dog that lie beside her.

He gave a bark.

"Hmm," Jet mumbled. "So you don't ever miss the Bebop?"

"Edward always misses the Bebop! But Ed has finally found where Ed belongs!" The girl clasped her hands under her chin and looked upward dramatically as she spoke. The action seemed all too familiar to Jet.

"You didn't by any chance talk to Faye before you left the ship, did you?" he asked, with a raised eyebrow.

"Umm," Edward thought. "Yep! Faye-Faye said she found where she belongs and that Ed should do it too!"

_So it _was_ her idea,_ Jet thought, feeling vexed.

"I was leaning toward leaving before, but it was Faye-Faye who convinced me to go for it!" the hacker spoke.

"Well," sighed Jet, defeated. "I'm sure you have it better here anyway. With us, we could never find a good bounty that we didn't have to use up for ship repairs or fees or debts. We were always starving without any food. You've got it made with your dad. At least you know you can always have a nice dinner." Jet spoke, slowly scooping a spoonful of his ice cream. He dangled the spoon before his face, looking at it before he ate it. His ramblings had made him sadder and sadder.

"But Jet," Ed spoke. "We never starved _that_ much! You used to make us yummy dinners all the time!" Edward said cheerfully.

"You think?" Jet asked, flattered by the compliment.

"Yep!" she replied. "You did always make the same bell peppers, but Sally-Sal always makes the same food too! Scrambled eggs, then chicken, then both in an omlette! Father-person has a lot of chickens, you know," Ed smiled. Jet rested his chin on a metal fist in thought. "It was really fun when we got to eat mushrooms for a whole week! Here, Ed never gets to eat anything besides chicken and eggs."

Jet raised an eyebrow. _Now I'm not sure which is better,_ he thought._ Both lifestyles kinda suck._

"But I do miss helping you track down those dirty, low-down, rotten cowpokes!" the girl grinned, forming her hands into little guns. "Pew! Pew! Pew!" she fired with a laugh.

"Oh, that probably doesn't compare to tracking down meteors with your old man," Jet spoke, bearing a new eagerness to come out on top.

"Tracking meteors is super fun! Father-person is really funny!" Jet was inclined to lose hope. "Except when he forgets," she frowned.

Jet stared at the kid's face. He had never seen a frown on it. At least not a serious one. He took it as a cue. "You know, Ed," he slowly began, "you're welcome back on the Bebop anytime you like." Ed looked up at him, swallowing down her last spoonful of melty, green cream.

"Does Ed get more ice cream?" she asked.

"I think I can see that happening," Jet answered with a smile.

"Hmm… okay!" the hacker smiled, lifting the bowl to her face. Jet looked at her, puzzled.

_That was pretty easy,_ he thought.

* * *

_**Aww! I just love Jet, here, and in chapter thirteen. I know, I know what you're thinking: "Where are Spike and Faye?" you ask. Well, I promise, I GUARANTEE that they will reappear in the next chapter. PROMISE! We're so close! Just hang on! Thanks so much for stickin' with me this far!**_


	16. One Step Closer

_**Dun da da dah!**_ _**Behold, chapter sixteen! Please enjoy!**_

**One Step Closer**

* * *

Faye strode into a vibrant dance hall, looking confident, yet feeling a little unsure of the situation. Was returning to bounty hunting really a good idea? Oh well. What did she have to lose? Through pulling a few strings, she had discovered a few leads that brought her to this swanky club. Wearing one of her favorite evening dresses, the black one with the deep cowl neck that drooped open almost to her navel and had glittering, bejeweled straps, she lifted her head and brushed a stray strand of hair back and out of her eyes as she descended into the room. 

As she looked around, people obstructed her path in all directions. The sea of men in tuxedos and women in beautiful gowns swayed with life. Some were chatting over champagne, others were merrily dancing to the live jazz band that emanated the classy sounds of the 1950's. She gave a smile as she made her way into the crowd. Her sparkling green eyes were peeled as she scanned the lively room.

"Good evening, miss," came a voice from behind. Faye turned to see the speaker. She saw a slim, attractive man wearing a charming smile looking down at her. His hair was blonde and perfect. "I hope I'm not being too forward, but I must tell you that you are quite an astonishingly beautiful young lady. I'm sure you get that a lot," he smiled, running a smoothing hand through his shiny coif.

She looked up at him with a sweet smile that masked scrutiny. She lifted a hand, and let her fingertips gently alight on her chest, right above her shapely breasts. "Why, I'm flattered," she said seductively.

_That was easy,_ she smirked.

* * *

Standing near the edge of the crowd, Spike's brown eyes searched for their target. With the ten thousand woolongs he had, he was just able to buy himself a nice, department store suit. He was comfortable, although he felt black wasn't his color. The snazzy red tie and pocket-square helped. He looked around the room, internally toe tapping to the swinging music from the band. _What a crowd,_ he thought. _Oh well. Finding that guy shouldn't be too hard, as long as I remember his face._

Just as he was about to head toward the crowd, something stopped him. "Excuse me, sir," came a voice. He turned to behold a small man wearing white gloves and carrying a tray of champagne. "Smoking's not allowed in here." Spike looked down, realizing the thin stream of smoke that slithered from the stick between his lips.

"Oh. Uh…" He looked for a place to dump it, but there was nothing in sight. The staff member stared in a slightly disgusted awe as he witnessed this strange guy swallow the cigarette hole. "Sorry about that," Spike said simply, clearing his throat. He patted the dumbfounded man on the shoulder as he made his way into the crowd.

* * *

_**Yes, 'tis a short chapter, I know. But check it! Look what I have accomplished! This is the first time ever that I've written a Spike/Faye chapter where the Faye part is actually longer than the Spike part! Go me! Anywho, the next chapter is comin' right up! Feel free to leave me a review. :3**_


	17. Foiled Again

_**Told you you wouldn't have to wait long! Here's chapter seventeen! Enjoy!**_

**Foiled Again**

* * *

Spike casually made his way through the crowded room, almost skillfully sidestepping his dancing obstacles. He had been browsing the room for a good twenty minutes now, and was beginning to get a little aggravated. As he released an exasperated sigh, he suddenly spotted a doorway. Walking up to the wide opening in the wall, he just about ignored the glistening tinsel that dangled and floated over the threshold, signifying a special partition. _A V.I.P. section?_ he thought, as he walked into the room.

As he entered, he beheld tables, round and square, draped with red tablecloths. Along the walls were booths with tall, couch-like seats and elaborately decorated cushions. Overall, the location seemed very promising. The bounty he was after had been described as Maxford Donaldson, a wealthy man mixed up in a company scandal. When some dirty laundry was aired, push came to shove and his greed had led him to murder. Or something like that. Spike wasn't too interested in the details. His eyes surfed the room, finally landing on the culprit. _There he is,_ Spike thought, spotting the bounty in one of the booths. Upon a second glance, he noticed a beautiful woman at his side. _Chatting it up with some floozy. Too bad. She won't save his filthy rich butt from me._

The startling click of Spike's Jericho froze the target in his place. "Hands up, Donaldson," he drawled, pressing the nose of his gun into the man's blonde temple. Donaldson braved a peek over his shoulder at his assailant. His perfect hair glistened in the dim lighting.

"Hey, what is the meaning of this?" he inquired, displaying a confused look.

"You mean you don't know?" Spike smirked. "Wanted for committing murder on Mars a few days ago. The plaintiffs put a rather nice bounty on your head. Two point five million woolongs!" He watched as the bounty's expression changed to one of malice. "Are you gonna come quietly?" he grinned, placing a hand on the man's shoulder.

"S-s-spike?" a wobbly voice interrupted. It was the woman accompanying Donaldson. Spike glanced at the woman, anxious to keep his eyes on the bounty. A vision of striking familiarity forced him into a double take.

Faye.

Her green eyes were widened with horror as she stared at him, her little mouth agape.

There was a pause. "That's right," he said casually, shrugging off the effect of her shock.

"What the hell are you doing here?!" Faye said sternly, clasping her hands into fists.

"Well," Spike answered. "Your date here happens to be my bounty." As he wrapped long fingers around Donaldson's collar, he heard a click in his ear.

"That's where you're wrong, Lunkhead," Faye spoke. Spike looked at her. Her face was determined and angry and her Glock was aimed at his mossy head. "This bounty's mine." Spike lifted an eyebrow at the violet haired woman, fearlessly disregarding the gun pointed at him.

"Yours?"

"Yes, mine! Is that hair blocking the way to your ears?"

"No need to get mean, Faye," he said in mock indignity.

"No, I think there is a need," she angrily replied.

"Faye," came the smooth voice of Donaldson from between the feuding couple. "You were just using me all along, weren't you? All you wanted was money. Money does make the planets go 'round, I suppose."

"Shut up!" Faye barked. She fiercely clamped a hand on the man's collar, opposite from Spike's fist. "And you!" she shouted, focusing on Spike again. "Go away!"

"Come on," Spike coaxed. "We can split the reward."

"What makes you think I'd share anything with a brainless, heartless idiot like you?" she growled. Spike was unsure of what to think. He heard her voice wobble again. He was almost sure he could see her eyes pooling with glistening moisture.

"You used to do it all the time," he replied. His dark eyes seemed to smile at her, although the rest of his face seemed stern and sober.

Donaldson noticed as Faye's grip on him weakened. With a smirk, he rose, elbowing Spike in the stomach. As the cowboy doubled over, the bounty made a run for it.

"Shit!" Spike cursed. He hated being caught unprepared for an attack. He straightened out, turning to chase after the running culprit. He gave Faye a short glance. "C'mon!" he shouted over his shoulder as he hastily sped off.

Faye could only watch as the two men ran out of sight. She stood, stunned and trembling with shock and fury.

_Damnit, lunkhead!_

* * *

_**So! Spike and Faye have actually found eachother again in this big ol' universe! Of all the bounties in the solar system, they go after the same one? Uncanny! But as you may have suspected, the story is still going! Stay tuned for more updates! In the meantime, leave me a review! n.n**  
_


	18. Reaquainted

_**I'm on a roll here, guys! Please enjoy chapter eighteen!**_

**Reaquainted**

* * *

Faye sat at the bar, not wanting to let her beauty go to waste. A bounty chase turned girl's night out was acceptable. Her lack of money didn't deter her from ordering the good drinks. She figured she could sweet talk her way out of a high bar tab. As she sipped on a Mojito, she strived to forget her worries and cares. But it wouldn't last long.

"I thought I'd find you here," came a deep, alluring, and all too familiar voice. Faye squeezed her eyes shut, hoping it was the alcohol talking. To her dismay, it wasn't. She looked at the lanky man who had taken a seat to her left.

"What do you want?" she said. Her voice sounded venomous.

"A stiff drink," he replied. He lifted a finger, signaling to the bartender.

"So go get it somewhere else!" Faye growled.

"But I'm already here," Spike replied coolly. "Makes no sense to leave a place that already has what you need." Faye lifted her glass to her lips.

"You should follow your own advice more often," she said before taking a sip. Her reply startled him a little. He took up the whiskey shot that had been placed before him.

"You're right, I should," he answered, gulping down the amber liquid. He exhaled heavily, slamming the glass down with a loud clack on the varnished surface of the bar. He caught a glimpse of Faye just as a little, salty droplet trickled down her cheek. Quickly he averted his eyes, pretending not to have seen it.

"So, why'd you do it?" she softly asked. Spike cringed. He had been hoping she wouldn't ask him that. "Why'd you just run off like that? Why'd you leave us?"

"I told you why," Spike sighed.

"It never made any sense!" Faye answered angrily. "Was it love? Was it revenge? I still don't see how those things can make a person have a death wish!" Spike was silent. In a few short seconds his shot glass had been refilled and gulped down. After a sigh, he spoke again.

"It wasn't a death wish."

Faye felt disillusioned. She wiped away the tear that had fallen down to her chin. "So what was it then?"

"A test." Faye frowned. She remembered what he was referring to.

"Did you figure it out? Were you alive? Or just dreaming?"

"Oh, I was dreaming alright," Spike replied as his glass was refilled again. "But I'm pretty sure I'm alive now." Faye couldn't help but feel relieved. She finished off her Mojito as Spike swallowed down his third shot. "But still," he continued, "sometimes there's a part of me that… just wants to go back to sleep. Ya know what I mean, Faye?"

Faye nodded, looking away. It had been almost too long since she'd heard his voice last. It was especially nice to hear him say her name without that hint of sarcasm or annoyance. But she even missed that. A little.

"So," she spoke with renewed vigor. "What happened with Donaldson?"

"He got away," Spike replied. "Then someone else caught him."

"I see," she replied. She had noticed that when he came in there were a few scratches on his face. His left cheek was a little swollen and his suit was completely disheveled. Faye grinned. "Did you get in a fight and lose?"

"No!" Spike defended. "Halfway through, he ran away. The coward."

"Sure," Faye smiled. "I believe you."

* * *

_**Aww! Things are going rather smoothly between Spike and Faye now that they've finally been reintroduced. Will things stay that way? We'll see! Stay tuned! n.n**_


	19. Piecing It Back

_**And I have even more goodness for you all! Please welcome chapter nineteen!**_

**Piecing It Back**

* * *

Edward stood in the rear of the Bebop's cockpit smiling out of the large window at her Earth home. Her green drawstring backpack hung loosely over her shoulders. As she grinned with her mocha face against the glass, Jet and Ein came in to greet her.

"You sure you wanna leave here, kid?" Jet asked, standing close by. The hacker turned to face him, her hands still smudging the windows.

"Uh-huh," she replied. "Edward wants to travel! I wanna be a see and do cowgirl!" she said excitedly. Jet gave a smile as he looked through the window with her. In the distance, he could see Ed's large goodbye message on the terrain near Appledelhi's house. It was more faint than it had been on the Bebop against the dusty Earth. She had shaped it out in smashed eggs, leaving the shells for visibility. Jet couldn't help but feel a twinge of sympathy for Appledelhi. He understood how disappointing and cryptic the message would appear.

"Remember," he spoke. "If you change your mind, I can always bring you back."

"Okay!" Ed simply replied. Jet gave the girl a pat on the head as he headed over to his pilot's chair. As he flipped the knobs and switches in preparation for take-off, he felt a little guilty for practically stealing Appledelhi's little girl away from him. He even worried about facing kidnapping charges. _In the end, it's all about what the kid wants, right?_ he told himself as the Bebop whirred and came to life around them.

* * *

Spike and Faye sat at the bar as it got later and later. They shared life stories over drinks and grew more and more intoxicated. As a cold, frothy margarita was placed before Faye, she gave a grateful smile to the bartender. "You know, Faye," Spike said, resting his head on his hand. "I hear those girly drinks can really pack a punch. You'll be trashed by the end of the night."

"Really?" Faye countered. "Are they even worse than hard liquor?"

"That depends," Spike replied with a smile. By now he was in a better mood than when he'd first arrived, so he'd switched from the depressing whiskey shots to some feel-good rum.

"On what?" Faye asked with a smile.

"On who drinks more."

"Are you implying that you can drink me under the table, Spike Spiegel?" Faye looked at him, twirling her straw between two fingers seductively.

"No, but now that you mention it, it's probably true." He smiled at her. Faye recognized it as his cocky, competitive smile.

"Don't gimme that look!" Faye grinned, pointing closely at Spike's face.

"What look?" asked Spike, amused.

"That look that says 'bring it on; I'm ready for your challenge and I can kick your ass'!" she giggled, slurring her words. She leaned in close to him, resting her weight on his arm. Spike glanced at her sideways.

"I think you've had enough of this," he said, reaching across her and taking her pink, frosty margarita.

"And I think you've had enough of these!" Faye replied, sliding his glass into her possession.

"Touché," Spike answered. He watched as Faye lifted his glass to her lips and took a sip. "Faye," he warned as she put the glass back down. She exhaled loudly.

"Ugh! How can you drink this? It's so boring. Where's the flavor?" she protested, sliding his drink back to him. Defiantly, Spike picked up Faye's glass in response. He swallowed a gulp.

"What the hell is in this crap?" he said after fighting down a mouthful. "It's too sweet!" Faye watched in amusement as his face grimaced with the taste of sour lime.

"That's what you get!" Faye teased happily.

"I'm hungry," said Spike, reaching for a nearby basket of pretzels. As he began tossing pretzel after pretzel into his mouth, Faye laughed at his sporadic announcement.

A little later, the crowd began to thin out a bit. Faye looked around, noticing the diminishing numbers. "Well," she said, hopping off her bar stool, "I'm off. It was nice seeing you again!" she smiled, waving her fingers daintily at Spike as she began to leave.

"Wait a minute," Spike said, catching her by the wrist. "Where do you think you're going?" he asked.

"To the place I'm staying at," was Faye's simple reply.

"_You_ have a place?" Spike said, raising an eyebrow with skepticism. "Where?"

"On the asteroid belt," she replied.

"And you're… _flying_ there?"

Faye gave him an awkward look.

"Even though I hate you, what kind of a person would I be if I let you do that? The next time I'd hear of you it'd be because your Redtail crashed into a skyscraper or something." Faye's awkward glance turned into an awkward smile. "Come on. We're staying here tonight," he ordered, taking Faye by the hand. As he walked, she had little choice but to follow. She wasn't in the mood for being contradictory.

* * *

_**The end of yet another chapter! What did you think? I know, I know. How unexpected for Faye to decide to just up and leave like that. Well, she is drunk after all. Heehee! Please stay tuned!**_


	20. Luck of a Drunken Cowboy

_**Here's another one! Chapter twenty! Please enjoy!**_

**Luck Of a Drunken Cowboy**

* * *

Spike had led the way to the Orchard, a hotel that happened to be conveniently attached to the nightclub they were in. As the intoxicated couple stumbled to the door of a hotel room, Faye fumbled with the door key. She had practically demanded to carry it, and Spike was inclined to give it to her. He stood close behind her, watching her progress from over her shoulder. As he watched, the fruity scent of Faye's hair crept up into his nostrils. Ordinarily he would have kept his distance, but under the influence of alcohol, his neglected libido was getting the better of him. He leaned into her, resting a hand on the porcelain skin of her bare shoulder.

"You know, Faye," he said casually. "If you weren't so mean to me earlier, I might have told you how beautiful you look tonight." He let his other hand slide over her hip and up to her slender waist. Faye kept her head down, hiding from him a sexy smirk.

"And yet you still want me out of this dress," she replied seductively. Spike ventured no response. Instead he hugged her, inhaling her scent like a drug. "You are drunk off your ass," Faye smiled, lifting her face to his.

"So are you," Spike retorted. "You know you still haven't opened the door yet?" Faye looked down at her hands, merely resting on the doorknob. She chuckled, finally getting the door open.

The two migrated inside; Spike almost pushed Faye in, attached to her. As the door closed, Spike clumsily shuffled Faye up against it. Faye looked up, catching a glimpse of Spike's slightly mismatched eyes before they slid closed. Her heart raced as she felt his coarse hands groping her thighs. He pressed his face against hers, planting kisses along her neck. "Spike," Faye whispered, ready to give in to the throes of passion. She pushed his suit jacket down from his broad shoulders, pressing her lips to his. Spike kissed back, responding with a low, mumbling groan. When his arms were finally free, Spike's hands glued themselves to Faye's hips, caressing them and pulling her into him. Faye clawed her fingers up his back, tangling them in his hair.

Eventually, Faye's impatience led her to take action. She gave Spike a push into the room and toward the bed. Spike narrowly escaped stumbling over the jacket that lay at his heels. He gracelessly fell onto the squeaky hotel bed as Faye eyed him hungrily. As the mattress bounced him, Faye straddled his lap, crawling on top of him with eagerness. She kissed his neck, hurriedly tearing off his dress shirt.

Spike felt more and more relaxed as he ran his fingers through Faye's silky smooth hair. He let her kiss him all over, coating him with love. He watched as she leaned over him, the deep neckline of her dress drooping open to reveal her firm yet supple breasts. He reached up, cupping each soft breast, gently kneading them with his fingers as she hastily unzipped his pants.

Faye smiled at his touch. Slowly, she crawled backwards, off the bed and out of Spike's reach. It being her first time with the man of her dreams, no matter how much she denied it in the past, she wanted to spice things up. She stood, carefully stepping out of her heels. Spike held his head up, watching her move. She turned her back to him, daintily slipping the bejeweled straps of her dress off of her shoulders. She swayed her hips, moving until the dress found its way to her ankles.

"Haven't you been waiting for this moment to happen, Spike?" she asked temptingly. She peered over her shoulder at him.

"Spike?"

She turned around, facing the half naked, sleeping, cowboy. She scowled at him as he rested peacefully on the itchy hotel comforter. Angrily, she walked back to the bed, turning off the difficult hotel lamp on the way. She peeled back the covers and squirmed underneath.

_Stupid lunkhead._

* * *

_**Ahh, short but sweet. You weren't expecting that, were you? XD Stay tuned; there's more to come! Don't hesitate to leave me a review!**  
_


	21. The Morning After

_**Here comes another one. Please enjoy chapter twenty one!**_

**The Morning After**

* * *

Daybreak shined into the hotel room, glaring through the sheer layer of curtain on the window. Spike rolled away from the gentle light with a drowsy grimace. He attempted to drift off again, but it was too late. He was already awake for the day. As he resettled himself, his eyes opened slightly, examining the room in which he slept.

_Ugh, my head,_ he thought. Slowly, he brought a hand up to rest on his forehead. _I think I need a Prairie Oyster._ He looked up at the ceiling briefly before cupping his hand over his eyes. Suddenly, he felt movement on the other side of the mattress. He sat up, wishing to postpone having to look in the direction of the window. He ventured a look at the other side of the bed, witnessing the beautiful woman sleeping peacefully next to him.

"Oh shit."

He looked at her again, just to make sure he wasn't dreaming. "Of all the women in the solar system I have to wake up next to Faye Valentine," he mumbled to himself. He pushed the covers off, placing his feet on the coarse, blue carpet. _Well, at the very least, she is cute,_ he thought as he stood. He ran fingers through his deep green hair, noticing that his pants were undone. "Oh God," he sighed, making his way to the bathroom.

Faye's eyes fluttered open and she looked around the seemingly empty hotel room. She spotted Spike's jacket still on the floor from the previous night's escapade. She sat up, holding the bed sheet over her breasts as she wearily rubbed her face. With a sigh, she glanced wistfully out the window as Spike returned.

"You're up," he said, standing in the threshold of the bathroom door.

"Hoping to pull a hit and run?" Faye replied, smirking at him.

"We didn't…?" Spike began, cautiously pointing a finger at himself and at her.

"No," Faye answered. She didn't need him to finish the question. "Don't worry, your precious reputation is safe," she said peevishly. Sensing her annoyance, Spike decided to save his exaggerated sigh of relief, although he thought himself hardly in the mood to be sympathetic. Instead, he dragged his feet back to the bed and sat on the edge.

"Hoorah," he murmured, bowing his head into his hands.

"You look awful," Faye said, scooting a tad closer to him.

"I have a massive hangover," Spike grumbled, massaging his temples.

"Well, at least now we know who drank more," Faye smirked. She reached past Spike to his white dress shirt on the floor. She put her arms through the long sleeves, buttoned up a few buttons, and slipped out of bed. She grabbed the TV remote from the armoire and plopped down next to the aching man.

"That's my shirt," Spike mumbled, letting his hands fall onto his knees.

"And?" said Faye, flipping through the channels.

"And I want it back."

"Relax. You'll get it back. I'm just borrowing it."

"Uh-huh. Right," Spike said, rolling his molasses eyes.

"You can't spend it or eat it. Why would I wanna keep your crummy old shirt?" she asked, turning her attention to him.

"To hide your nudity," Spike replied.

"I'm not nude."

"That's because you're in my shirt!" Faye gave him an indignant look. Spike stood, seemingly with more effort than usual. His head pounded, begging him for relief. "Faye," he said, more quietly. "Can I please have my shirt back? I need it."

"Are you going somewhere?" Faye asked, looking back to the television.

"Yes," Spike replied, getting rather annoyed. The woman looked up at him, her gaze falling over his lean torso and attractive abs. His fresh battle scar stood out, pink against his pale skin.

"Well, why didn't you say so?" Faye replied. Spike stared blankly. She stood with him, a resigned smile curling her lips. "Since you're in such pain, Spike, I've decided I'm going to be nice to you," she said. She looked him in the eye, determined. As she stood mere inches from Spike, she boldly unbuttoned the buttons on the shirt she wore. The act in and of itself might have seemed sexually charged, but there was nothing erotic about the way she did it. Spike maintained eye contact with her, avoiding the sight of her ideal body.

_I had no idea she was gonna do that,_ he thought, keeping a straight face. _Although I shoulda seen it coming after last night. _He focused on the pain of his hangover.

Faye handed him the shirt, triumphantly holding it to his chest. "There you go," she said. Spike eyed her curiously.

"Thanks," he replied, finally turning away. Faye sat back down, pulling the bed sheet over her again. "Here, you can wear the jacket," Spike called. Faye looked over at him as the black garment came flying in her direction. She tried to catch it, but it landed on her head, tussling her purple hair.

"You couldn't wear the jacket?" she asked in an aggravated tone, glaring at the lean man before her.

"Who wears a jacket without a shirt, Faye?" he sardoned, his back to her. Faye sat, stealing glances at him as he buttoned up his shirt and tucked it in. He rolled up the cuffs, pushing them up to the elbow, the way he liked them. He popped his collar, looking around the room for his tie.

"Where are you going?" Faye asked, scooting off the bed again. She was dwarfed by the oversized jacket that hung loosely from her shoulders.

"To get me a Prairie Oyster," he simply replied, slinging his thin red tie over his shoulders.

"What the hell is that?"

"It's a rocks glass filled with one egg yolk, a squirt of ketchup, a few drops of soy sauce, a dash of pepper and some milk. Good for hangovers."

"Ugh! Is that anything like that green lizard goo you made Jet drink?" Faye asked, wrinkling her nose in disgust.

"I guess," he answered, sitting in a nearby chair and putting on his shoes. "It is a nice little remedy."

"I think what you gave Jet was a big load of crap," Faye scoffed.

"Think what you will, Faye," said Spike, heading for the door.

"Hey, I wanna come too," said Faye, hopping off the bed. Spike paused.

"Like that?" he asked, looking over the length of her body that was draped in heavy black fabric.

"No," she said, picking up her dress from the night before. She stopped before removing the jacket, giving Spike a glare. He responded with a questioning raised eyebrow. Impatiently, the woman held up her hand, spiraling her index finger forcefully. Spike understood.

"_Now_ she wants privacy," he mumbled, turning his back to her.

* * *

_**Yay! What did you all think? Hungover Spike is quite amusing in my opinion. Sure, he is ready to kick some ass if provoked (please recall "Heavy Metal Queen"), but he's still cute! n.n**_

_**Thanks to everyone for all of your lovely reviews, by the way! There's still more to come, so please stay tuned, and keep the much appreciated reviews coming!**_


	22. One More Time

_**Please enjoy chapter twenty two!**_

**One More Time...**

* * *

"Ugh, you are so weird," Faye said with a grimace, slightly relieved to see that Prairie Oyster monstrosity finally vanish from her sight. Spike firmly placed his empty plastic cup on the table between the two. Faye looked around at the people who walked past, ambling up to the continental breakfast buffet for more bacon and eggs. "So, how fast does that stuff actually start kicking in?" 

"It'd start a lot faster if you'd shut up," Spike grumbled.

"You're an asshole, Spike," Faye stated unceremoniously. The man looked at her through emotionless eyes. "You barge in here, steal _my_ bounty, not to mention you don't even catch him, come track me down at the bar, get drunk with me, come _on_ to me, _fall_ _asleep_ on me, put me through all this crap and _this_ is how you treat me after all that?"

"Wait," he interrupted. "_I_ came on to _you_?" Faye answered him with a glare. "I must have been drunker than I thought," he sighed, running a hand through his forest green mane.

"Spike!" the woman growled. She looked as though she would lunge across the two by two square foot table and strangle the cowboy. Spike merely smiled.

"Faye, Faye, Faye," he said coolly. "You know, you were always good for a laugh. You were right whenever you said I'd get on your nerves for my own amusement. I guess I missed it so much that maybe I took it a little farther than normal." Faye's intense glare softened.

"Is this going to be an apology?" she asked.

"That depends," Spike replied. "Will you accept it as one?"

"Maybe, but we're not just talking last night, Spike. You have to apologize for my life ever since I met you!"

"Huh?"

"That's right," Faye replied haughtily. "In that casino a while back you cost me my opportunity at freedom from debt! If it weren't for you, I'd be living in the lap of luxury by now!"

"Oh, and it was my fault that you decided to take the money you stole from us and gamble it all away? Plus you're the one who killed the guy that was offering you this financial freedom. If you'd spared his life, you probably could have hashed something out with him."

"It was a drop in the bucket. There was no reason to put that money toward my debt if it wasn't going to help any. And it was self-defense that killed him, not me. What was I supposed to do? He was firing missiles at me!"

"So, how does this connect to everything being my fault?" Spike asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Easy," Faye replied. "If you had just given him the chip everything would have been solved."

"Yeah right, Faye. That guy was gonna destroy me and Jet."

"Well, it would have been a noble sacrifice for a beautiful woman such as myself," she replied conceitedly.

"Say what?"

"If death wasn't an option for you, you probably should have thought about that before you sat down at my table. I know you weren't the guy I was supposed to be waiting for anyway."

"Can you blame me for wanting to play with such a beautiful woman?" Spike smiled. Faye paused in her tirade. Her firm look almost morphed into a smile. "Of course, how was I supposed to know she'd turn out to be a cheater?" Spike smirked playfully. Faye's scowl returned.

"Just shut up and apologize to me already!"

"For what?"

"For ruining everything!"

Spike looked at her with exasperation, which could easily have been mistaken for regret. "I'm sorry, Faye," he said. Either way, he was much less inclined to argue with a woman while suffering from a hangover.

"You mean that?" Faye asked hopefully. Spike liked the look on her face. He nodded, smiling gently.

"Yeah," he replied. He may have been a tad weary of their argument, but he housed no guilt that she felt he was to blame for her hardship. Faye gave a reluctant glance at the man before issuing a response.

"I think I can accept that," she smiled.

"Good," said Spike, resting his elbow on the table.

Moments went by, and the two sat across from each other, looking around the room at nothing in particular. It was a comfortable silence.

Just like old times on the Bebop.

Finally, Spike stood from his chair, stretching his arms above his head. Faye watched him curiously as he made his way to her side of the table. "Can I get my jacket back?" he asked casually.

"What for?" Faye asked, removing the garment. She had almost forgotten she was still wearing it.

"I'm gonna go," he said.

"Go?" Faye said, a little startled. "Where?"

"I'm not sure, really," Spike replied, tossing the jacket over his shoulder suavely. "It was nice seeing you again, Faye," he said. With a nod of his head, he turned to leave.

* * *

_**What? What?! Is this what they call a cliffhanger? She can't let him just leave again! Or can she? Stay tuned! It's getting good now:3 **_

_**Don't forget to read and review. XD**_


	23. Break Through The Door

_**The long-awaited chapter twenty three! Please enjoy.**_

**Gotta Knock A Little Harder...**  
**Break Through The Door**

* * *

Faye watched him; it was almost as if he were walking in slow motion. It was all too familiar. The only difference was… well, as far as Faye was concerned, there was no difference between now and the last time. But perhaps… 

"Wait! Spike!" she called. She ran to him, placing a hand on his broad shoulder. He stopped, turning to her, an unlit cigarette already between his lips.

"Hm?" he answered.

"Spike, you can't leave me like this," she said urgently. Spike looked down at the violet haired woman.

"Don't worry," he said. "I'm sure Jet will forgive you for making him pay for the hotel room. Eventually."

"No! That's not it…" Faye said. "Spike," she spoke, gently pulling him back to the table where they sat.

"What's up?" he asked as they retook their seats.

"Stop pretending! Don't tell me that none of this feels the least bit familiar to you," Faye urged. Spike looked into the woman's emerald eyes, the expression in them was sorrowful and pleading.

"Yeah… it does."

"So why are you letting it all happen again? Do you know how I felt last time? Do you know how Jet felt?" Spike removed the unused cigarette from his mouth, twirling it between his thumb and index finger.

"I know exactly how you felt," he replied, looking down at the table.

"We thought you were dead. You hid from us for six months, Spike." Faye's voice began to tremble with anger and sadness.

"Yeah, I would have called you guys, but um, I was in the ICU. Sorry I couldn't reach you sooner." Faye stared at him incredulously. Spike caught her gaze, already feeling guilt for his unnecessary sardonism.

"After you left, Spike, I left too. I didn't even feel bad about leaving Jet there all by himself. I was just trying to get away." Spike looked at her inquiringly. "Every square inch of that damn ship had something to do with you. I couldn't just stay there and be constantly reminded of you. I had to get away!"

"Faye," Spike began.

"Because of you I was driven away from the only place left I could call home! You were home to me. But you were too busy chasing down your selfish past to even care! You ruined my life. Are you sorry for that, Spike?"

"That mission was extremely important to me, Faye. It was the defining moment of _my_ life! Why should you be the only one to get what she wants?" Faye looked at him, jolted by his burst of sobriety. "I don't think you're being very fair about this."

"Fair?" Faye bristled at the word. "You wanna talk to me about fair?"

"Faye," Spike interrupted, but to no avail.

"You didn't have to go! Who told you you had to go? What bad things could have happened if you stayed with us?" Spike stared, searching his mind for answers to her questions. "I'll tell you, Spike, nothing! Things would only be better if you'd stayed on the Bebop, or at the very least they would have stayed the same. You had nothing to lose!"

"I lost Julia!" Spike fiercely interrupted. "If I hadn't gone, I would have lost the chance to be with her again." He trembled imperceptibly, lowering his eyes to the bland, blue table. His hands were balled into large, tense fists.

"So what were we to you?" Faye ventured after a pause. "Was Jet just a vessel and a cook for you? Was Ed just a fountain of bounty information? Was Ein just an emergency meal plan? Was I just… a life line?"

Spike looked up from the table and into Faye's hurt, green eyes. His chocolate orbs were dark and fiery. "That's not fair, Faye," he growled.

"Then tell me what is!" Faye shouted, effectively grabbing the attention of everyone in the hotel lobby. Neither of them noticed. The pair sat silently for a moment, staring into each other's eyes, each sensing the other's emotion. "Spike," Faye said finally. "Don't leave us again. There isn't a reason to anymore. You've done what you wanted to do. What more do you want?" Spike was pained by the expression in her eyes. He remembered it well. That desolate, entreating look that was so difficult and painful to turn his back on six months ago.

"Spike, come back to the Bebop with me."

* * *

_**Quite persuasive, Faye! But is it enough to get Spike to see things your way? Let's hope so!**_

_**Well, folks, our cliffhanger is no longer hanging from a cliff. But where will it land? Please stay tuned, and don't forget to read and review! n.n**_

_**By the way, let's thank the wonderful Yoko Kanno and the Seatbelts for the awesome song "Gotta Knock A Little Harder", which I felt was greatly fitting to this chapter in particular, therefore prompting me to name the chapter after it! Gotta love it. :3 **_


	24. Decision

_**It's been a few days, but here's chapter twenty four!**_

**Decision**_**  
**_

* * *

Jet sat idly in the living quarters of the Bebop. He sat on the yellow sofa, his left foot resting on the coffee table and his right arm draped over the back of the couch. Dinner had already been made and eaten, and there wasn't much else to do on the way to Ganymede. A cigarette rested between two metal fingers as he watched the moving images on the vid screen. Every once in a while, he would see Edward, chasing Ein across the room, or Ein chasing Edward down the corridor at the top of the steps. At least some things were back to normal.

Jet's cigarette had burned down to the filter in his grasp. Dejectedly, he put it out in the ashtray that sat on the coffee table before him. Suddenly, a beep on the vid screen signaled a communication passageway.

"_Hi there! I just got your signal and I was wondering if you could help me out. You see, I'm kind of out of fuel at the moment_," came a sexy, saccharine voice through the speaker. Jet could hardly believe his ears. "_If you could give me a hand I'd be very appreciative_!"

"Faye?"

"_That's right, Jet! Open up_!"

The man's bitterness returned, in spite of his reminiscence for the good ol' days. "You're wasting your time, Faye! Go bother someone else!"

"_Oh, come on, Jet! Please? I have a surprise for you_!"

"No way!" Jet bellowed. "You wanted to leave and get the Bebop out of your pretty little head, you got your wish! Now leave me out of it!"

"_But Jet--_"

"Faye-Faye!" The women's plea was interrupted by the voice of a surprised little hacker.

"_Oh great! You welcome the kid back with open arms, but not me_!" Faye said angrily.

Edward turned to the man on the couch. "Faye-Faye's not welcome?" Jet faced the redheaded girl at his side. The jig was up. "Why not?"

"_Yeah, Jet! Why not_?" Faye asked. Wordlessly, Jet reached over to mute the connection.

"Ed, I haven't been very truthful with you since you came back, kid," he began, his voice dripping with guilt. "After you left, Spike left too. He went to go face some demons of his and wound up dead." He looked away as Ed's amber eyes widened with shock. "After that, Faye couldn't take the heartache, so she up and left too. For good. She didn't care how I felt. Just left me here by myself." He had let it out, told the girl what it was he was afraid she'd find out on her own, also managing to add a touch of his personal feelings. He could only wait and wonder what her reaction would be.

"Oh," she replied. "Ed understands." She looked cautiously into Jet's face, noticing as his eyes filled with sadness. Ein waddled up to the couch as Edward sat and wrapped her wiry arms around the large man. The dog sat near his foot, his brown eyes filled with sympathy.

Jet looked down at the girl, the only thing in his vision was the bright orange mane at his chin. It was an unexpected reaction, but a well appreciated one. "You're a good kid, Ed," he spoke softly into the mop of orange hair, gently patting her back.

Suddenly, another communication connection beeped, drawing Jet's attention. He pressed the button to talk.

"_Yo, Jet. Open up, old man_," said the voice on the other line.

Jet's heart leapt with shock. "What the hell?"

* * *

_**WTF?! Who could it be? I'm sure you have your hypotheses, but there's only one way to be sure. Wait for the next chapter! It should be out soon, so stay tuned! And don't forget to leave me a review!**_


	25. Shock To The System

_**Here's chapter twenty five. Enjoy!**_

**Shock to the System**

* * *

Jet ran to the cockpit, followed closely by Edward and Ein. He looked through the large window, astonished to see not one, but two star ships floating at the dock. He put a hand on his forehead, blinking furiously to clear his vision. His eyes had not failed him; there it was, the Swordfish II, in all its battered glory.

"_Hey, Jet. You there_?" came the familiar voice again, this time from the control panel. Cautiously, Jet made his way to the controls and sat down at the helm.

"Spike? Is it really you?" he asked, incredulous.

"_Yeah,_" Spike replied. Jet could hear the cocky smile in his voice. Hurriedly, he pressed a button and pulled a lever, forcing the Bebop into a low moan as her hangar slowly pried itself open.

"Woo-hoo! Spike-person's back! Faye-Faye's back! Everyone's back! Let's celebrate, Ein!" Edward grinned, floating across the room with glee. Ein doggie-paddled through the atmosphere, inching across the space.

* * *

Jet was waiting patiently in the living quarters when Spike and Faye entered. He leaned at the base of the staircase, arms folded. Faye was a little surprised to see that his expression was less than welcoming.

Spike descended the metal stairs first, stopping in front of his old comrade. The two men stared at each other, wondering what the other was thinking. Finally, Jet broke the silence.

"Why aren't you dead, Spike?" he asked gruffly.

"It's a long story," Spike replied. He looked relieved, in spite of Jet's apparent lack of concern. "If I didn't know any better, I'd think you wanted me dead," he spoke, a faint smile dancing at the corners of his lips.

"No, that's not it at all," Jet answered in his mocking tone. "I was just wondering where the hell you've been all this time!"

"Well, I decided to take a little vacation, Jet," Spike replied coolly, fighting sarcasm with sarcasm. "I went to this nice resort. Maybe you've heard of it? It's called the Red Shield hospital of Tharsis. Nice place. I had my very own room in the ICU." Jet seemed to grow more upset. "I would have called you, Jet, but my slight coma prevented me from doing so."

"This isn't funny, damn it!" Jet exploded. Spike's face was still as calm as ever, but it had lost its smirk. "Why am I the last to know about this?" The mossy-haired cowboy was silent. He looked up at Faye, grinning a few steps above him. "Faye?" Jet asked. The intensity in his voice hadn't diminished. "What are you snickering at?"

"You owe me big for this, Jet," she replied with a smile. "You know he wasn't even gonna come back? _I _convinced him to."

"Faye!" Spike groaned.

"Wha--?" Jet began, stunned. His voice was much quieter now. "Spike, is that true?" Spike looked down at his boots, secretly cursing Faye for her input. "Why?"

"Because of you, Jet," Spike replied seriously. "I know I brought you rough times and everything," he sighed. "It's my fault you got your leg shot out from under you. I didn't think you needed me around anymore, eating all your food and putting you in harm's way all the time." Jet looked at his younger comrade before running his cybernetic hand over his smooth head. Faye was no longer smiling.

"You still could've at least called or something," he said. "And don't gimme that coma bullshit. I know you didn't just wake up yesterday!"

"Spike-person! Faye-Faye! Spike-person! Faye-Faye!" Edward chanted, running in from the cockpit. She had been having too much fun floating in the low gravity. Gleefully, she ran toward the stairs, throwing her thin arms around the pair of long lost crewmembers. She giggled as Spike and Faye struggled to keep their balance.

"Yeah," Jet said, weary and spent. "They're just visiting."

* * *

_**What? Jet, you can't be serious! Are our heroes going to be forced to be homeless and to wander the Solar System for all eternity? Well, we'll find out soon! Stay tuned, and please feel free to leave a review! **_


	26. Persuasion

_**Please enjoy chapter twenty six!**_

**Persuasion**

* * *

With a glare at his two former compadres, Jet made his way past them and up the stairs to his bonsai room. Spike and Faye exchanged glances as the older man walked out of sight.

"No way! No way! No way!" Edward shouted angrily. She started up the stairs after him, but paused at the landing. "Spike-person? Faye-Faye?" she spoke angelically. "Please make yourselves comfortable. Ed will be back!" The girl started off down the corridor. "Don't go away!" she shouted over her shoulder at them.

Faye descended the stairs and plopped down in the yellow chair with a sigh. Spike's eyes followed her. "Didn't you hear him, Faye?" he asked in a low voice. "He wants us outta here."

"Didn't you hear the kid, Spike?" Faye asked imitatively. "She said to make ourselves comfortable. You can't just leave _again_! Edward misses you!" Faye teased in a baby voice. Spike wasn't sure why, but that last remark made him want to have a seat.

Slowly, he detached himself from the banister and shuffled over to the old yellow couch. He plopped into the cushions, instantly hit with the familiar feel of comfort. The urge to lie down and take a nap was strong. It would be just as it was before. He looked up at the corridor, in the direction that Jet and Ed had disappeared, wondering what was going on, hoping she'd change his mind.

"Feels good, doesn't it?" asked Faye, crossing one leg over the other. She watched as Spike lifted his boots to the coffee table.

"I guess," he replied.

* * *

Jet took a seat before his petite plants, resting his elbows on his knees. The shock of his old friend back from the dead had rattled him. The fact that Spike had never intended to return pained him. His feelings were hurt. He looked to his plants, hoping to gain comfort from them. For some reason, they provided no solace.

"Jet! Jet! Jet! Je-e-e-e-e-e-e-et!" The voice of the young hacker echoed through the hallways until it bombarded his ears. Finally, her orange head peeped into the room. Jet looked up at the girl with a peeved expression. "Jet, why don't you want Spike-person and Faye-Faye to stay?" Jet answered with a sigh, rubbing his bald head. "Spike-person is not dead. Ed hugged him! He's not a ghost!" she smiled.

"I know," the man finally answered. "But they left! They obviously had no intention of staying here. Bunch of freeloaders. I'm not going to let them come back and just take advantage of me like they've done in the past. Besides, you don't just leave one day and decide you wanna come back the next. It isn't right."

"But Jet," Ed said, sitting next to him. "Edward did the same thing. I left and didn't even tell you! But Ein and I missed you, so we wanted to come back. So does Spike-person. So does Faye-Faye." Jet looked down, seeing the girl's point. He gave another heavy sigh.

"You had good reason to leave. You're a different story, Ed," he said stubbornly.

"Nuh-uh!" Ed grinned, shaking her head.

"I like you more than them."

"They like you more than me!" Edward's eyes shimmered with a persuading enthusiasm as she replied. "I don't think they just wanna take advantage of you, Jet-person. They love you!"

Jet gave the girl a look, running out of arguing points. He knew she was right. Whether he liked it or not, he was being hypocritical. He stood, leaning against the wall in contemplation. Before he knew it, he felt Ed's little tanned arms wrapping mercilessly around his waist.

"Papa?" she grinned, amber eyes sparkling. Jet struggled to hold back a smile. He never admitted it, but ever since the time he and Ed had gone after that brain migration hoax, he had become quite fond of hearing her say that.

"Oh, alright, you win," he said, almost feigning exasperation.

"Papa!" Edward giggled, remaining connected to him.

Jet turned to leave, walking unevenly as Ed stood on his right boot, a barnacle along for the ride.

* * *

_**Woot! Thank God for Edward! I think it's because no man in his right mind can say no to a cute little girl. :3 Girl power! I wonder how things will go with the rest of the crew. Only one way to find out. Stay tuned! And please keep the reviews coming! They're great!**_


	27. Now Boarding

_**Please enjoy chapter twenty seven!**_

**Now Boarding**

* * *

"So, you think he's gonna take us back?" Faye asked Spike as the duo lounged peacefully in the living quarters, enjoying smokes. Spike averted his eyes from the sluggish ceiling fan to look at her across the room.

"I think so," he replied coolly. "If you ask me, I'd say it's really up to Ed."

"He does seem to like her a lot more than he does us right now," Faye answered, blowing a puff of smoke from her dainty lips. "It's like she's his kid or something."

"Or something," Spike repeated, taking a slow drag from his cigarette.

"Do you miss it?" Faye asked.

"What, the Bebop?" She gave a nod. "Yeah," Spike sighed. "I guess I miss those nights when we'd schlep around without any food."

"Yeah," Faye spoke reminiscently. "And the days when the shower wasn't working."

"And the times when the A/C wasn't working."

"Those moments of sleep so randomly interrupted by Ed's crazy antics."

"I hear that one," Spike chuckled. Faye laughed with him.

"My God, Spike, what was so great about staying on this old hunk of junk anyway?" she asked with a smile.

"I have no idea," Spike replied, displaying a smile of his own.

Before long, Edward came skipping merrily down the stairs and perched herself on the coffee table between the two bounty hunters. "I told you I'd be back!" she grinned. Neither Spike nor Faye spoke, but both answered with a look of contentment and slight fondness. Ed responded with a wide grin. "So did you miss Ed?" she asked excitedly.

"Yeah," said Faye.

"Kinda," said Spike.

The trio looked up as Jet's heavy boots could be heard at the landing of the stairs. Slowly he descended, still bearing an inhospitable countenance. He stiffly walked across the room and lowered himself onto the couch cushions, opposite from where Spike sat. All eyes were on him as he sulkily leered at the floor.

"I got some leftovers in the fridge," he finally spoke. "You guys can help yourselves."

Ed gave a giggle as she looked at the newly recovered shipmates. Spike's lips slightly curled up around the filter of his cigarette.

_We're back._

Faye gave a haughty, _I-knew-it_ smile.

_We're home._

* * *

_**Yay! Spike and Faye are welcomed begrudgingly by Jet again! But you all knew that, didn't you? Heehee! Stay tuned. This is not the end! n.n**  
_


	28. Epilogue: Back In The Swing

_**The end is near! Please enjoy chapter twenty eight.**_

**Back In The Swing  
**

* * *

Appledelhi Siniz Hesap Lütfen looked out of his window one bright, sunny morning before one of his tracking voyages. As he scouted the land from the view of his bedroom, he noticed a strange sight on the rocky terrain. He scratched his head of dark hair as he beheld what appeared to be a message. "BYE-BYE" was painted on the ground, along with a cheerful smiley face in a medium of nearly solidified egg yolks. The image was somewhat familiar to him. He could have sworn that he'd seen it somewhere before, in the distant past. As he stared, he reached back into his mind, connecting this image to about eight years ago, right around the time when his daughter, Francois, had become scarce. "That's strange," he said to himself.

* * *

The Bebop floated silently through the void of space, inching its way toward Ganymede. The ever-common scent of sautéed bell peppers mixed with stale cigarette smoke hung in the air of the living area. Ein slept in a peaceful ball of fur near the foot of the yellow sofa, his ear twitching every once in a while. The dog was alone. 

--- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- ---

Faye relaxed in the deep bathtub, letting the warm water embrace her weary body. She inhaled the scent of the bubbles that surrounded her, debating with herself on whether or not to pick up the book that was on the floor near the tub base. She was content as she lifted her hands from the water, letting the droplets fall upon her shoulders that sat above the rippling surface. Not even that lunkhead could ruin this peaceful moment of relaxation. Not when she'd locked the door.

--- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- ---

Spike occupied a dark room down the hall from the living space, practicing his Jeet-Kun-Do. Skillfully he maneuvered through the blackness, hands reaching out to punch invisible foes, feet lunging out to kick them. He was breathing slightly harder than he usually had; the long stay in the hospital had made him rusty. No doubt that had been the reason for missing that bounty the week before. His mind wandered; another thing that wasn't usual in the world of Spike Spiegel, at least not during Jeet-Kun-Do. He was being plagued by the past. The events of last week had been strangely surreal.

--- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- ---

Edward wondered the cool metal corridors of the Bebop, exploring nooks and crannies that hadn't been seen by her eyes. As she strangely made her way through the ship, she hummed to herself a merry tune. She walked with wide steps, swinging her arms with gusto near the revolving portion of the ship. When she found spots where the false gravity was weak or nonexistent, she swam through the space, pushing off from walls and other items of arbitrary furniture. Contentedly, she poked her nose into a dark room, hearing the faint sound of limbs cutting through the air. It was slightly interesting to watch Spike-person practice, but it managed to get old fairly quickly. Bored, she moved back to the living room to pay the ship's resident dog a visit.

--- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- ---

Jet stood in the kitchen, skillfully tossing sliced, green fruits in his skillet. His apron was stained with grease and his brow was furrowed. He stirred the food in the pan with a seemingly angry flip of the wrist. With a heavy hand, he sprinkled light seasonings onto the cooking peppers. He grumbled, cursing as he realized he had sprinkled too much. A small tidbit of news he'd recently received had set him on a slow boil. 850 thousand woolongs for a six-month stay at a hospital on Mars? 125 thousand woolongs for a stay at the Orchard hotel on Venus? Spike and Faye had wasted little time accumulating more debt, and Jet would be damned if he was going to help them at all with paying it off. He began to think that perhaps he was right about being used for financial gain. Perhaps Edward had just been blowing smoke about love. He decided to put those two to the test. If he withheld money from the dynamic spending duo, and they left the ship again, he'd know he was right. If they stayed, regardless of his tight-fisted ways, he'd acknowledge that Edward was right. Yeah. It seemed like the perfect plan. Before long, the scent of the food grew harsh and strong as the peppers blackened. "Ahh, shit," he groaned, swiftly removing the skillet from the fire.

* * *

Edward finally made her way back to the kitchen where she crept up to Jet's side as he cooked. She smiled, looking over the array of things that cluttered the countertops. "Did you burn the din-din, Jet-person?" she asked cheerfully. 

"Don't touch that, Ed, it's hot," Jet spoke, reacting as the girl reached a finger toward the scalding skillet. She gave a giggle as she picked up a small bottle of seasoning instead. She put her nose to the bottle, inhaling the strong, saltine scent of the fajita seasoning within. "Hey, Ed," he said, turning off the stove. The child looked up at him inquiringly. "Why don't you go get Faye? Time to eat."

"Alright!" she cheered, skipping away.

"Ed!" Jet called after her. The girl gave him her attention.

"Huh?"

"Bring back the fajita seasoning, will ya?"

"Okay!" she smiled, running back to him. As she placed the bottle on the counter, she sped off again. Jet's smile followed her out of the room.

--- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- ---

"Faye-Faye! Faye-Faye! Faye-Faye, where are you?" Edward called, marching through the immediate hallways. Ed knew she couldn't have gone far. Then she remembered the bathroom.

Faye rested peacefully in the bathtub. She had decided to pick up that book again. As she turned a page, she heard the muffled voice of Edward, echoing through the halls and reverberating through the bathroom door. "Faye-Faye!" the voice called.

_That is so like Ed,_ Faye thought. _She never knocks, she just shouts instead._ "What do you want?" she shouted back.

"Ed wants you to come out, or else you won't get your yummy dinner!" Faye gave a sigh. She lifted her pale foot from the now tepid water. Her toes were wrinkly and pruny. She figured she'd been in there long enough. She was getting a little hungry anyway.

"Fine, I'll be right out, just go away," Faye answered with irritation.

"Alright!" the kid responded, leaving the blocked threshold.

--- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- ---

"Hey, Spike," Jet called, poking his head into the dark area. "Chow time."

"Yeah, I heard the kid," Spike replied, throwing a few more jabs.

"Just givin' you a heads up," Jet answered.

"Ok," Spike said. Jet withdrew his head, silently disappearing into the light.

--- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- ---

Slowly, one by one, the crew assembled in the living space. Edward cartwheeled into her usual spot at the end of the coffee table. Before long, Faye descended the metal stairs. Her violet hair was wrapped in a towel and her bathrobe was tied neatly, the neckline slightly gapping at her chest. "Are we having bell peppers for dinner _again_, Jet?" she asked with complaint in her voice.

"Don't forget the beef!" Ed chimed, separating four plates on the coffee table.

"Oh yes, how could I?" Faye snarked.

"You know, the kid's right," Jet said, walking in from the kitchen, carrying the hot skillet. "It's bell peppers and beef." Faye gave a false nod.

"Yeah right," came a fourth voice. Spike appeared at the threshold wearing his dark sweatpants and a towel draped over his strong shoulders. "If that's bell peppers and _beef_, then I'm Jesus of Nazareth."

"Well, you have been resurrected once or twice," Jet answered with a grin.

"Try another analogy, lunkhead," Faye spoke. Spike sneered as he lumbered into the room, verbally defeated.

"Besides," Jet continued, "since I'm not going to be paying for all of your fees and damages anymore, maybe we'll have some _real_ beef next time."

"That money never came out of pocket, Jet. It was from the bounties," Spike protested.

"Also known as my paycheck!" Jet replied. "So next time you have a huge fine over your head that needs to be paid, go catch your own bounty. I'm gonna keep my share for _me_, and not have to use it to cover your ass." Spike gave a pitiful look, a sad attempt at puppy dog eyes. "Don't gimme that look," Jet growled.

"Aw, look at it this way, Spike," Faye said mockingly. " Maybe this'll teach you not to be so reckless, huh?" She smiled, basking in Spike's disappointment.

"That goes double for you, Faye," Jet spoke, bringing Faye back from her happiness. "In fact, you owe me some money yourself."

"Uh! You're not still on me about that invoice, are you?" Faye huffed. "That's not fair! You never hold Spike accountable for all the money you spend on him! If you did, you'd probably be filthy rich."

"I don't doubt that," Jet replied, scooping limp peppers onto each of the four plates. He said nothing more, sensing that his argument wouldn't hold water. He pulled four forks out of the pocket of his apron and let them fall onto the surface of the table. Each occupant of the Bebop picked up a plate and a fork and began dinner.

"Couldn't you just waive it?" Faye sweetly asked after the long pause.

"I'll think about it if you shut up and eat," he answered. Faye rolled her eyes as Spike smirked at her.

The living room was quiet. Faye sat on one end of the yellow sofa while Spike sat on the other. Jet reclined in the yellow chair as Edward sat contentedly on the floor at the end of the coffee table with Ein at her side. Jet reflected as he ate. The Bebop was finally back to the way it had been. How he had missed the feuds and tiffs between Spike, Faye and himself. It had been too quiet without them. Quiet came and went on a full ship. On an empty one, he could never escape it. The past week had single-handedly made Jet happier, even more so than he had been before anyone had ever left.

_Some friends,_ he thought.

* * *

_**We've finally reached the end! How did you like it? Let me know what you think. Leave me a review! **_

_**By the way, in retrospect, I think my first story, Reluctance, kinda sucked. So I'm thinking of editing and revamping the whole thing. If you've read it, I wouldn't mind an honest opinion. n.n Thanks to everyone for all your wonderful reviews and look forward to more from me! Ciao! **_


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